On 22 January, the soft launch meeting of the Cooperatives and Mutuals Leadership Circle (CM50) was held,., bringing together 35 cooperative and mutual leaders from across the globe, many from the World Cooperative Monitor list. This gathering marks the launch of a dedicated effort by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to expand the cooperative and mutuals market share as part of the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and beyond. Leveraging the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025), the CM50 first aim is to present a Charter and a Commitment Plan during the Second UN World Summit of Social Development (WSSD2) to be held from 4 to 6 November, in Doha, Qatar.
The CM50 CEOs will champion the cooperative and mutual business model on the global stage, showcasing its potential to accelerate on the SDGs.
“The turnout on the first gathering exceeded my expectations, with leaders from over 20 countries expressing the joint urgency to show their collective strength in a world that is rapidly losing its moral compass. CM50 can be our own Davos, as a response to the global oligarchy of the super wealthy that threatens democracy, peace and economic inclusion. This is the time to show the world that another model is possible.- a model that deserves a larger share of the global economy. The ICA is proud to host CM50.” Jeroen Douglas - Director-General of the ICA.
Read the full press release in the documents attached.
