Welcome to the United Nations
No country is immune from it. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than it was in 1990, and global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act. Cooperatives for Climate Action was chosen as this year’s theme to address this, and to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate Action. Climate change severely impacts people’s livelihoods around the world, especially the most disadvantaged groups such as small-scale farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, who have to cope with extreme natural disasters and degradation of natural resources. This year we will focus on the contribution of cooperatives to combating climate change.
The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) celebrated the 2020 International Day of Cooperatives online on Thursday 9th July 2020 (the actual day falls on the first Saturday of July, and this year it is on 4th July).
COPAC has decided the theme for this year’s celebration is “COOPS 4 CLIMATE ACTION”.
The 2020 International Day focused on the contribution of cooperatives to combating climate change, one of the most severe challenges of our time. Its effects are severe on people’s livelihoods around the world, particularly the most disadvantaged groups such as small-scale farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities.
Let’s cooperate and invite everyone to fight for climate change
As people-centred enterprises and key development actors, cooperatives are important agents for climate action, combined with the fight for poverty eradication, equality and social, economic and ecological justice. Rooted in the second and seventh International Cooperative Principles, Democratic member control and Concern for the Community; cooperatives are well placed to promote inclusive and sustainable development in their communities, leaving no one behind.
The celebration featured the screening of a short documentary illustrating the Creando Conciencia cooperative, who are fighting ecological and social injustice through decent work, mobilising the local economy and expanding opportunities in the Benavidez district in the greater Buenos Aires, Argentina.
There was a presentation on cooperative work for climate action and sustainable development. The presentations were followed by an interactive discussion.
Message of the United Nations Secretary-General
English
About the International Day of Cooperatives
On 16 December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming the first Saturday of July as the International Day of Cooperatives. The aim of this celebration is to increase international awareness of cooperatives and create an enabling environment for their growth and prosperity. The event underscores the contributions of the cooperative movement to resolving the major problems addressed by the United Nations and to strengthening and extending the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors.
Since 1995, the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) has been setting the theme of the celebration. COPAC members are the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the International Labour Office (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
Join us. Share. Spread the word! #Coops4ClimateAction #EveryoneIncluded
UN System
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC)
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- 2012 – International Year of Cooperatives