July saw the global cooperative movement engage in several events at the UN headquarters in New York, USA.
The first of these events was held on 8 July by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), and marked the International Day of Cooperatives.The event was held in collaboration with the United Nations Federal Credit Union and the New York City Department of Small Business Services, and highlighted the sector's role in tackling multiple global crises and working towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event heard from cooperative and credit union representatives who explored lessons from New York City’s Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI), the National Union of Family Farming and Solidarity Economy Cooperatives (Unicafes) in Brazil and the World Council of Credit Unions .Read the report here https://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/copac-event-celebrates-international-day-cooperatives-headquarters
Cooperatives were also on the agenda at the 2025 UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, which featured two sessions specifically dedicated to them:
- During an event on 15 July, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), in collaboration with COPAC, brought together Member States, UN agencies, cooperative leaders, and development stakeholders to explore the role of cooperatives in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their engagement in national development and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) processes. Read the full report on the event here https://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/vnr-lab-report-are-cooperatives-fit-purpose-iyc2025-and-road-doha
- On 18 July the contributions of cooperatives to social justice, decent work and economic democracy in the Americas region were shared. The event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Americas Regional Office (ACI Americas). Read the report here https://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/hlpf-cooperatives-bring-social-justice-decent-work-and-economic-democracy-americas
HLPF concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration which recognises the important role of the social and solidarity economy, including cooperatives, in creating decent jobs, strengthening local economies and advancing sustainable development and the realisation and localisation of the SDGs. The declaration also emphasises the need for support for cooperatives.
Read our full report on this here: https://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/cooperatives-recognised-2025-hlpf-ministerial-declaration-reaffirming-global
In addition to these activities, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (UN) also celebrated the achievements of cooperatives during an event at the UN’s headquarters on 28 July. Themed, "Cooperatives and Sustainable Development: Maintaining momentum and exploring new avenues”, the session explored pathways to promote, strengthen and sustain the cooperative movement.
Read the full report here https://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/event-explores-cooperatives-role-sustainable-development
