Within the framework of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the side event was held on July 18th “Cooperatives: Promoting social justice, decent work, and economic democracy. From the Americas, for a global commitment”, organized jointly by Cooperatives of the Americas, the permanent missions of Chile and Brazil to the United Nations, the OCB (Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives) system, and the International Cooperative Alliance.
This event—highlighted by Regional Director Danilo Salerno as a milestone of utmost importance—marked the first time that Cooperatives of the Americas directly organized an activity of this type at the United Nations headquarters. As part of the official program for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, it brought together government leaders, representatives of the United Nations system, and prominent voices from the regional cooperative movement. The event highlighted the contributions of cooperatives to social justice, decent work, and economic democracy, emphasizing their role as equalizers of gaps and promoters of inclusive territorial development.
The opening ceremony was led by Ambassador Paula Narváez, Head of the Permanent Mission of Chile to the UN and Co-Chair of the Regional Committee of the Allied Parties for the 2025 IAC in the Americas, and Ambassador Norberto Moretti, Deputy Representative of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, in addition to a video message from the President of the International Cooperative Alliance, Ariel Guarco.
The event also featured prominent participation by Panama's Minister of Social Development (MIDES), Beatriz Carles de Arango, and the European Union Ambassador to the United Nations, Stavros Lambrinidis.
The dialogue was structured into three thematic blocks:
- Decent Work and the Care Economy, with the participation of Fabiola da Silva Nader Motta (General Manager of OCB Brazil) and Dardo González (President of Cooperativa Sanatorio Americano, Uruguay), who highlighted the strategic role of cooperatives in the care sector, both for people and the planet, contributing to SDGs 3, 5 and 8 and putting into practice cooperative principle 7, commitment to the community.
- Human Development and Social Justice, with contributions from Ana Beatriz Riquelme (CONPACOOP, Paraguay) and Cornelius Blending (NCBA CLUSA, United States), who shared experiences on human development and the civil and social rights of all people, leaving no one behind.
- Economic Democracy, with the intervention of Pedro Morales (Cooperativa Riobamba, Ecuador), who highlighted how access to cooperative credit transforms rural communities and indigenous peoples, strengthening economic autonomy and resilience. He also presented the current situation of cooperatives in Ecuador, which has led to a public statement by the World ICA, clarifying that it is not simply a matter of opposing a State Law, but that Ecuador's cooperative movement aims to collaborate with its improvement in order to move toward regulations based on the principle of proportionality and oversight that improves the system, without punishing it.
In his closing remarks, José Alves, President of Cooperatives of the Americas, reaffirmed that: "For more than 130 years, cooperatives have represented an economic model that focuses on people and positively transforms their lives."
He emphasized the need for coordinating forums such as the Regional Committee of the Americas of the Allied Parties, and called for the establishment of a permanent channel of dialogue between cooperatives and the multilateral system: "We want a permanent channel of dialogue between the UN system and the cooperatives of the Americas. We want to participate in international forums with our own voice, with data, with experiences, and with solutions."
This event demonstrated that cooperativism is not only a tool for economic development, but also a cultural, social, and political force that drives a more just, participatory, and sustainable future for all people.
This side event was organized within the framework of the #coops4dev project, co-funded by the European Union, which aims to strengthen the role of cooperatives at all levels. The initiative raises awareness of the cooperative sector's impact on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reaffirming their role as key players in sustainable development.
📺 Official recording of the event on UN Web TV
