Ahead of the World Social Summit in Doha in November, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) participated in an in-person only informal hearing for stakeholders preparing the Food for Thought paper at the UN’s New York headquarters. The hearing was convened by H.E. Ms. Sophie De Smedt, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations, and H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations, in their capacity as Co-Facilitators of the intergovernmental preparatory process for the Second World Summit for Social Development.
The event was attended by representatives of non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, along with representatives of other relevant NGOs, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and the private sector.
The ICA was represented by Giuseppe Guerini, ICA Board Member and President of CECOP, and Esteban Kelly, Chair of the NCBA CLUSA Board and Executive Director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives.
Mr Kelly and Mr Guerini called on Member States and all partners to ensure that cooperatives are explicitly recognised in the Political Declaration of the World Social Summit as key actors in achieving sustainable and inclusive development.
They described how cooperatives are not just theoretical alternatives, but well-established, people-centered enterprises delivering real impact, particularly in the areas of poverty eradication, decent work, social protection, gender equality, and food security. Rooted in democratic governance and shared values, they put people and planet above profit.
“However, to scale this impact, cooperatives need enabling ecosystems, inclusive legal frameworks, access to equitable financing and full integration in the national and global policy agendas, particularly in the context of the SDGs and social development strategies,” Mr Kelly told the hearing.
“We respectfully urge member states to explicitly include cooperatives in the political declaration as recognised development stakeholders, to commit to growing the cooperative and mutual economy as part of a renewed social contract and enable cooperative models into public policy on employment, housing, social protection and climate resilience.”
Following the event, Mr Guerini said: “We asked the drafters of the document to recognise the role of cooperatives as they are consolidated, people-centred companies that produce a concrete impact.
“We recalled how all over the world, cooperatives have over 280 million decent jobs in place, with a strong focus on women, youth and marginalised communities; offer affordable housing, healthcare, and financial inclusion; build resilience through mutual insurance, fair trade, and sustainable agriculture; and promote the green transition through renewable energy and circular economy initiatives.”
He added that the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025 represents a “pivotal moment” and offers a global platform to showcase how cooperatives contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and can serve as partners to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
“Cooperatives represent one of the most proven, inclusive and scalable models of social innovation and collective well-being. With political will and strategic partnerships, they can be at the forefront of the transformation that [the World Social Summit] aims to achieve,” he concluded.
Watch a recording of the session here (33:03 - 36:45 min)
