Resources on cooperatives

  1. Joint UNTFSSE-SEE event in the framework of European Social Economy Summit

    29 March 2021

    Social Economy Europe and the UN Taskforce on Social and Solidarity Economy will co-organise the event “Social and Solidarity Economy: leading the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the contribution to a fair recovery”.

  2. COVID-19: How cooperatives are transforming rural lives and livelihoods

    03 November 2020

    The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on health, jobs, businesses & economies. Yet, cooperatives have been lifting up their communities. Small-scale producers and family farmers were able to improve their access to markets and financing. Simel Esim, Head of Cooperatives Unit, explains how.

  3. How cooperatives can help Brazil’s waste pickers build back from COVID-19

    03 July 2020

    This year’s International Day of Cooperatives on 4 July will focus on climate action. Waste pickers’ cooperatives in Brazil are examples of how cooperatives can help combat climate change, while facing the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  4. Sustainable development is not a choice, but the only way

    06 July 2018

    ILO Viet Nam Director, Chang-Hee Lee, made the speech at the celebration of the International Day of Cooperatives in Hanoi on 7 July 2018.

  5. Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 Cooperative contributions to SDG 7

    27 June 2018

    This brief is part of the Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 series produced by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC). Through a series of 17 briefs, one for each Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), COPAC hopes to raise awareness about the significant contributions of cooperative enterprises towards achieving the 2030 Agenda in a sustainable, inclusive and responsible way, and encourage continued support for their efforts. This brief focuses on SDG 7 – ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

  6. Fishermen's cooperative society in Irrananimathanagar

    22 December 2017

    The brochure provides an overview of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society in Irrananimathanagar supported by Local Empowerment through Economic Development (LEED) Project in Sri Lanka

  7. © Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP 2022
    Message by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder: “Cooperatives for sustainable development"

    05 July 2014

  8. Green and fair: Cooperatives in Ethiopia

    19 June 2012

    By their very nature, cooperatives can balance economic, environmental, and social needs. The ILO will be showcasing some of its successful experiences in this field at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). One of them involves more than 200,000 coffee producers and almost 200 cooperatives in Ethiopia.

  9. Mainstreaming environmental issues in sustainable enterprises: An exploration of issues, experiences and options

    21 January 2011

    Employment Working Paper No. 75