Cooperatives: Collective solutions for a just and sustainable future

Today, we mark the 103rd International Cooperative Day and the 31st UN International Day of Cooperatives, during the Second UN International Year of Cooperatives.

Cooperatives are at the heart of the social and solidarity economy.

Guided by their principles, they deliver sustainable solutions across sectors and regions for productive employment, decent work, social inclusion, and economic resilience.

In times of crisis, they step up to meet the needs of workers, members, and communities, playing a countercyclical role.

We are living in a time of deep transition.

As the world prepares for the second World Summit for Social Development and reimagines multilateralism, one thing is clear: institutions may change, but the values that guide us - solidarity, democracy, and shared prosperity - must endure.

Cooperatives embody these values, offering proven pathways to just transitions, innovative approaches to formalization, and collective solutions in the care, the digital and the rural economies. 

Through global initiatives, such as the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives, the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy, and the Global Coalition for Social Justice continue to underscore their global relevance.

Happy International Day of Cooperatives to us all.