The UN proposes a second International Year of Cooperatives in 2025


The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a new resolution on cooperatives in social development which calls for the proclamation of 2025 as International Year of Cooperatives.

The text encourages all Member States, as well as the United Nations and all other stakeholders, to take advantage of the International Year of Cooperatives as a way to promote cooperatives and raise awareness of their contribution to achieving the Development Goals. Sustainable and general social and economic development. The resolution was introduced by the Government of Mongolia and approved on November 3 during the 47th plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The initiative follows the success of the first International Year of Cooperatives in 2012, which greatly contributed to raising awareness of the important role of cooperatives in promoting sustainable development.

The resolution also draws the attention of governments to the recommendations of the 2023 report of the UN Secretary General on cooperatives in social development, to focus support on cooperatives as sustainable and successful companies, strengthening the business ecosystem for cooperatives that allows them to continue contributing directly to the: generation of decent employment, eradication of poverty and hunger, education, social protection - including universal health coverage -, financial inclusion and creation of affordable housing options in various economic sectors of urban areas and rural. The text also recommends review current legislation and regulations to make the national legal and regulatory environment more conducive to the creation and growth of cooperatives, by improving existing laws and regulations and/or establishing new ones, especially in the areas of access to capital, autonomy, competitiveness and fair taxation.

Furthermore, the resolution calls on Member States to consult cooperatives in the preparations of the Voluntary national reviews for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It also invites governments, relevant international organizations, specialized agencies and local, national and international cooperative organizations to continue celebrating the International Day of Cooperatives annually, the first Saturday of July, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 47/90.

The ICA welcomes the adoption of this resolution, welcomes its recommendations and encourages all parties interested in the promotion and advancement of cooperatives to implement them.

The president of the ICA, Ariel Guarco, applauds the adoption of a new UN resolution on cooperatives and adds that «the proclamation of a new International Year of Cooperatives 13 years after the first demonstrates the firm recognition by the UN and national governments of the capacity of cooperatives to promote the 2030 Agenda and build a more just and prosperous world for all."
The International Year of Cooperatives 2025 will coincide with the ICA's 130th anniversary, founded in 1895.

The recommendations of this new UN resolution are well aligned with the ICA's requests to governments and development partners as indicated in its recent Policy document “Cooperatives: Key partners in the realization of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development”.

The final version of this resolution is expected to be published in December, as adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 3.

You can find the recording of the 47th plenary session of the General Assembly at this link – to see the adoption of this resolution from minute 25 to 35.

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