In an effort to boost the role of cooperatives in key areas such as education and youth, Cooperatives of the Americas and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a meeting to identify opportunities for joint collaboration with a view to the International Year of Cooperatives (2025) and their respective projects.
The meeting was attended by Danilo Salerno, Regional Director of Cooperatives of the Americas; Francisco Miguens Campos, Advisor to the Cabinet of the Regional Director of UNESCO; and Amparo Naranjo Grijalva, UNESCO Education Program Specialist.
During the meeting, the participation of this organization in the Committee of Allied Parties, a space for collaboration and strategic coordination for AIC 2025, and its role as a key ally in one of the official activities of Cooperatives of the Americas, were highlighted.
Both organizations highlighted the importance of aligning efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through concrete initiatives in areas such as capacity building and training in the cooperative sector, the development of joint research to generate knowledge and innovation, and participation in strategic events that highlight the contributions of both entities to global development.
There was also agreement on promoting processes that help strengthen educational spaces for young people and foster entrepreneurship, aligning with initiatives such as the network of cooperative incubators promoted by the regional office.
These advocacy processes are carried out within the framework of the Coops4dev project, implemented by the International Cooperative Alliance and co-financed by the European Union, which seeks to highlight the impact of the cooperative movement on sustainable development, promoting the scope of the SDGs.
