Co-operatives: partners for accelerated sustainable development
On 1 July, the cooperative movement will celebrate the 2023 International Day of Cooperatives. United by the slogan Cooperatives for sustainable development, the day will showcase how the cooperative way of working, inspired by the cooperative values and principles, has the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its DNA.
In September 2023, the international community will mark the mid-point in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and seek ways to accelerate progress in the SDGs. It is thus a real key moment to demonstrate the contribution of cooperatives in advancing the achievement of the SDGs.
Being one of the world’s oldest and largest business networks, the cooperative movement was the first group of enterprises worldwide to endorse the SDGs and be recognised as a partner in achieving these goals.
As natural vehicles of collaborative partnership and prosperity for all, cooperatives contribute to economic, social, and environmental sustainability across regions and economic sectors. It is inherent among them to safeguard community relations, enhance local resources, advocate social responsibility, and adopt sustainable and long-term business practices.
Celebrated worldwide for more than a century and officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on the centenary of the ICA in 1995, the International Day of Cooperatives is annually commemorated on the first Saturday of July.
The aim of #CoopsDay is to increase awareness of cooperatives. The event underscores the contributions of the cooperative movement to resolving the major problems addressed by the United Nations and to strengthening and extending the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors. Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), have jointly set the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay.
This year’s theme is “Cooperatives: partners for accelerated sustainable development” and the celebration will mark the 29th International Day of Cooperatives recognized by the United Nations and the 101st International Cooperative Day.
Through #CoopsDay, local, national, and international policymakers, civil society organisations and the public in general can learn about the contribution of cooperatives to a just and sustainable future for all.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. Source: ICA
