I am delighted to celebrate with you on this International Day of Cooperatives.
This year’s theme is “Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All.” And what better theme to remind us of the essential role of cooperatives in sustainable development and social justice worldwide?
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the ILO’s Philadelphia Declaration whose vision reflects the core values of the ILO’s mandate. The Declaration affirms the right of all human beings to pursue material well-being and spiritual development in freedom, dignity, economic security, and equal opportunity. Cooperatives embody every single one of these enduring principles.
The International Cooperative Alliance has been a vital partner for the ILO since our inception. Over the years, we have strengthened our collaboration in advancing decent work and social justice. Our partnership is even more crucial now as we approach 2025, when we will mark the 2nd United Nations International Year of Cooperatives and the 2nd World Summit for Social Development.
Cooperatives are pivotal to addressing discrimination and inequalities and to the promoting gender equality. Their impact is significant and wide-reaching. To highlight this, the ILO is developing methods to better measure the contributions of cooperatives to our economies and societies.
As our world continues to face complex challenges, cooperatives are key to providing people-centred solutions. The ILO’s continued collaboration in the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives, along with other UN agencies and the international cooperative movement, exemplifies this.
Cooperatives also offer timely solutions. By prioritizing people and the planet, cooperatives can promote a just environmental transition and a fair digital transformation. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage cooperatives to engage with the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions – your presence and contribution are very welcome starting with the pathfinder countries.
Today, we have an opportunity to reinforce collaboration between cooperatives, and with social economy entities, governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and international organizations.
The recently launched Global Coalition for Social Justice does just that. It unites diverse partners around a common cause and helps translate their commitments into concrete actions to advance social justice. I am glad that the cooperative movement has joined us in the Coalition. Your involvement is crucial to achieving our shared goals. We have the power to join forces to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future for all.
— Gilbert F. Houngbo
