International Year of Cooperatives 2025: ILO Engagements
About the International Year of Cooperatives 2025
The International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC 2025) is a global initiative to highlight the contributions of cooperatives to sustainable development across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The theme of the year, “Cooperatives build a better world,” underscores the enduring global impact of cooperatives, positioning them as essential solutions to today’s global challenges.
Following the success of the first International Year of Cooperatives in 2012, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) through Resolution A/RES/78/289 on June 19, 2024.
The objectives of the IYC 2025 are: (1) to raise public awareness by highlighting the contributions of cooperatives to sustainable development; (2) to promote growth and development by strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem for cooperatives; (3) to advocate for supportive frameworks by encouraging the creation of enabling legal and policy environments globally; and (4) to inspire leadership by fostering purposeful leadership and engaging youth in the cooperative movement.
How the ILO marks the IYC2025
As the only UN specialized agency with an explicit mandate covering cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE), the ILO remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting cooperatives as a key driver of productive employment, decent work, and social justice.
During the IYC 2025, the ILO continues to
- raise awareness of the critical role of cooperatives and amplify their impact through enhanced research including case studies and good practices and lessons learned, improved statistics, and effective knowledge dissemination;
- strengthen the capacity of cooperatives with multiple capacity building tools and training materials;
- engage with stakeholders including collaborating with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and cooperative networks to strengthen the cooperative movement;
- advocate for cooperative-friendly policies by promoting enabling legal and policy frameworks for cooperatives.
ILO engagements in IYC2025
IYC 2025 Webinar series
Providing care through the social and solidarity economy
Innovative approaches to addressing informality through the social and solidarity economy
Large and multinational cooperative enterprises advancing decent work across supply chains
Social and solidarity economy responses to crises
Get Involved
Stay tuned for the ILO’s regular updates on advancing decent work and social justice in and through cooperatives and the wider Social and Solidarity Economy during IYC 2025 and beyond:
- Visit ILO topical portals on cooperatives ilo.org/coop & the SSE ilo.org/sse
- Sign up for ILO COOP/SSE monthly newsletter
- Follow @ILOCOOPSSE on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram
Visit the IYC 2025 official website (www.2025.coop) to explore how cooperatives worldwide are uniting under the theme to advance sustainable development, strengthen community resilience, and engage youth in shaping a more inclusive future. Learn how this year is being celebrated around the globe and how you can get involved—whether by collaborating with stakeholders and partners, using the IYC logo, creating and participating in national mechanisms, or communicating cooperative impacts and more.