On 1 July, the cooperative movement will celebrate the 2023 International Day of Cooperatives. United by the slogan “Cooperatives for Sustainable Development,” we will show how the cooperative way of working, inspired by the movement’s values and principles, is hardwired to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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, making this year a 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 recognized as a partner in achieving these goals.
The cooperative movement was the first group of enterprises worldwide to endorse the SDGs and be recognized 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 for social responsibility, and adopt sustainable and long-term business practices.
“At the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda, efforts need to be deepened, and this can only be done with more cooperation,” said Ariel Guarco, president of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). “Enterprises, which are responsible for organizing the production and distribution of goods and services, must focus on people and the planet. Cooperatives have a model for doing this, and have been demonstrating it for almost 200 years.”
The ICA invites cooperators across the globe to celebrate International Day of Cooperatives and show the world what can be achieved through the power of cooperation.
The 2023 #CoopsDay action pack including this year’s logo, key messages and other digital resources will be available online soon. Join the #coops4sdgs campaign!
About the International Day of Cooperatives
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 resolve the major problems addressed by the UN, and to strengthen and extend the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors. Since 1995, ICA and the UN, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), have jointly set the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay.