In a world often focused on competition and division, 2025 has emerged as the year when cooperation takes center stage. The United Nations General Assembly's proclamation of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, under the theme "Cooperatives Build a Better World," recognizes an economic model that is quietly revolutionizing how communities address poverty, climate change, and economic inequality.
Far from being an abstract policy initiative, this recognition celebrates a proven track record of success. Approximately 3 million cooperatives worldwide currently operate across every economic sector, from agriculture and finance to energy and housing, collectively serving over 1 billion members and providing employment to an estimated 280 million people globally.
🌟 Multiple Perspectives on Cooperative Success
📊 Proven Impact Across Global Challenges
Cooperatives contribute directly to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, from ending poverty and ensuring food security to promoting decent work and sustainable communities. Their impact spans critical areas:
🍎 Transforming Agriculture and Food Security
Agricultural cooperatives improve food security by supporting small producers with fair markets and access to necessary resources. These enterprises enable smallholder farmers to access credit, technology, and markets that would otherwise be unavailable, while ensuring fair prices and sustainable farming practices.
⚡ Leading the Clean Energy Revolution
Energy cooperatives and energy communities are at the forefront of the democratic energy transition, enabling citizens to take control of their energy future while fostering sustainable development. From renewable energy generation to energy efficiency programs, cooperatives are proving that community ownership accelerates the transition to clean energy.
🏦 Expanding Financial Inclusion
Cooperatives empower communities by providing financial access, economic opportunities, and employment, helping lift people out of poverty. Credit unions and financial cooperatives serve populations often excluded from traditional banking, offering affordable financial services tailored to community needs.
🚀 Innovation Through Collaboration
Rather than viewing cooperation as old-fashioned, forward-thinking leaders recognize cooperatives as laboratories for 21st-century solutions. The International Cooperative Alliance, founded in 1895, represents cooperatives worldwide and provides a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and coordinated action.
These enterprises are pioneering innovative approaches across multiple domains:
📈 Strengthening Local Economies
Cooperatives provide stable employment and fair wages, fostering decent work and contributing to local economies while enhancing local industries by supporting sustainable infrastructure and fostering innovation. By keeping ownership and profits within communities, cooperatives create multiplier effects that strengthen entire regional economies.
🤝 Building Social Cohesion
Cooperatives prioritize social inclusion, offering marginalized communities equitable access to resources and opportunities while fostering democratic participation and community cohesion. In an era of increasing polarization, cooperatives demonstrate how shared economic interests can bridge social divides.
🌱 Environmental Stewardship
Cooperatives lead environmental initiatives, promoting sustainable practices and renewable energy to combat climate change, while supporting sustainable fishing practices, land conservation, sustainable farming, and biodiversity protection.
🎯 Strategic Partnerships Accelerating Impact
The success of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 reflects unprecedented levels of multi-stakeholder collaboration. The UN General Assembly encourages establishing national coordination mechanisms for IYC activities, ensuring that global messages reach stakeholders at all levels.
This coordinated approach involves:
🏛️ Government Engagement
Policymakers are developing supportive regulatory frameworks that foster cooperative growth. France has appointed a Ministerial Delegate for the Social and Solidarity Economy, emphasizing the SSE's role in addressing global challenges, while national mechanisms bring together diverse stakeholders—governments, cooperatives, civil society, academia, and the private sector.
🎓 Educational Transformation
Academic institutions are integrating cooperative principles into curricula and research agendas. The International Labour Organization's initiative on advancing Guidelines concerning Statistics of Cooperatives is creating standardized methods for measuring cooperative impact, enabling better evidence-based policy making.
💡 Innovation Ecosystems
Development agencies are promoting education, capacity building, and international cooperation to strengthen cooperatives while exploring how cooperative models can address emerging challenges like digital transformation and climate adaptation.
🔮 Building Momentum for 2030 and Beyond
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, emphasized that "the innovative contributions of cooperatives for sustainable development will be crucial for accelerating progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as we approach 2030."
The timing of this recognition is particularly strategic. With only five years remaining to achieve the SDGs, cooperatives offer a proven scalable model for addressing multiple challenges simultaneously. The upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha provides an opportunity for cooperatives to contribute to building political commitment and a global consensus on strategies to address social challenges in the 21st century.
🌐 Expanding Global Networks
International cooperation mechanisms are strengthening cooperative movements worldwide. Regional engagement, youth involvement, and public-private partnerships are expanding cooperative reach while maintaining their core principle of community ownership and democratic governance.
💪 Youth Leadership Development
The cooperative movement is actively cultivating next-generation leaders who understand both traditional cooperative values and modern challenges. National mechanisms encourage youth participation and leadership development within cooperative structures, ensuring the movement's continued evolution and relevance.
🔥 Taking Action: How to Join the Movement
The International Year of Cooperatives 2025 isn't just about recognition—it's a call to action. The UN General Assembly encourages establishing national coordination mechanisms for IYC activities, ensuring that global messages reach stakeholders at all levels.
For Individuals: Learn about local cooperative initiatives, support cooperative businesses, and consider joining or starting cooperatives in your community.
For Organizations: Use the official logo, visual identity, and hashtags (#iyc2025 #coopsyear #cooperativesbuildabetterworld) to highlight activities and maximize the impact of IYC2025.
For Governments: Develop supportive policies and regulatory frameworks that foster cooperative growth while creating enabling environments for cooperative enterprises.
As we navigate global challenges from climate change to economic inequality, the cooperative model offers a proven pathway forward. The second International Year of Cooperatives provides an opportunity to mobilize all stakeholders to support and expand cooperatives everywhere, strengthening their contributions for a better world.
The evidence is clear: when communities own their economic future collectively, everyone benefits. The question isn't whether cooperatives can build a better world—it's how quickly we can scale their proven solutions globally.