Welcome to the United Nations
In November 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/78/175 on cooperatives in social development, proclaiming 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). This resolution encourages all Member States, the United Nations, and other relevant stakeholders to leverage the International Year of Cooperatives to promote cooperatives and highlight their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and broader social and economic development.
To kick off the celebrations, the UN Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, will host a launch event for the 2025 IYC at the UNHQ. This event will take place during the UN High-Level Political Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York on July 9, 2024, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm (EST). It is intended to inform ambassadors and senior officials attending the HLPF about the International Year and actions that Member States can take to support cooperatives and ensure success of the Year. It will coincide with the 2024 UN International Day of Cooperatives (IDC), celebrated under the theme "Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All."
Objectives
This hybrid event aims to set the stage for the 2025 IYC, which will be officially launched during the ICA Global Cooperative Conference, scheduled for November 25-29, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The New York event will serve as a platform to deepen the theme of IYC2025, unveil the media package, discuss the UN resolutions outlining the modalities for the IYC launch.
The event is also intended to encourage countries and institutions to form national and regional committees that will take the lead in organising events and activities for commemorating and celebrating the international year. These committees, whose membership will include governments and representatives of cooperatives, will take the lead in bringing the cooperative identity to the wider public and ensuring that at the end of the year 2025, cooperatives are better known, have a more conducive environment for their operations, and are better placed to support Member States in their efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals.