SDGs Implementation: Are Cooperatives Fit for Purpose?
The 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) takes place at a critical moment in the global development calendar. It coincides with two key milestones: the second United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) and the second World Social Summit (WSS) in November 2025.
Held under the IYC2025 theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, this year offers a vital opportunity to recognize and scale the contributions of cooperatives toward inclusive, sustainable development. The Voluntary National Review (VNR) process presents a key platform to highlight cooperative engagement in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those under review at this year’s HLPF:
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
COPAC and ICA have been working on a series of IYC2025 SDG Briefs, emphasizing the contributions of cooperatives to these priority goals under review, which can be found here: https://2025.coop/2025/04/28/copac-sdgbriefs/.
This VNR Lab will explore how cooperatives as enterprises built on democratic ownership, participation, and community values offer concrete, evidence-based contributions to SDG implementation. Drawing on regional case studies, government engagement, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, the VNR Lab will also identify ways to integrate cooperatives more systematically into national SDG plans, VNR consultations, and WSS preparations.
Discover here for more informations.
