A new era of global economic collaboration was signaled in Doha as top cooperative and mutual leaders launched a “Contract for a New Global Economy” at the World Summit for Social Development.
The initiative marks the first action of the newly formed Cooperatives and Mutuals Leadership Circle (CM50), a network created by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to champion inclusive and sustainable growth worldwide.
The CM50 brings together leaders of some of the largest and most influential cooperative and mutual enterprises. Among them are Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of India’s Amul; Shirine Khoury Haq, CEO of the UK’s Co-op Group; Howard Brodsky, Co-founder and Chairman of CCA Global Partners, USA; Fabíola da Silva Nader Motta, General Manager of Brazil’s OCB; and Rob Wesseling, President and CEO of The Cooperators, Canada. The alliance aims to foster international cooperation and elevate the cooperative model as a proven mechanism for equitable economic development.
The summit, coinciding with the closing ceremony of the United Nations 2025 International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025), underscored the growing recognition of cooperatives as drivers of social inclusion, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods.
The Doha Political Declaration, adopted during the event, placed cooperatives at the forefront of the social and solidarity economy, emphasizing their contribution to decent work creation and their role in strengthening community-based economies across the world.
A high-level Solutions Session, co-hosted by the ICA and the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), drew participation from Heads of State, UN officials, and leading figures in the global cooperative and mutual sectors.
The session served both as the closing of IYC2025 and the launch of the ICA’s new 2026–2030 Strategy, outlining a roadmap for expanding the cooperative movement’s influence and contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ICA President Ariel Guarco emphasized that cooperatives have consistently demonstrated their ability to create fairer and more resilient societies. “The Doha Political Declaration and the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report on Cooperatives in Social Development both reaffirm the transformative potential of the cooperative model. As we close IYC2025 in Doha, we look forward with renewed energy to deepening our impact as a key accelerator of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Guarco said.
Adding further momentum to the movement, the ICA unveiled a special edition of the World Cooperative Monitor, which reveals that the world’s top 300 cooperatives together generate an impressive turnover of US$2.8 trillion, comparable to the world’s eighth-largest economy. The report includes insights from cooperative leaders showcasing how people-owned, democratically managed businesses continue to thrive in competitive markets while prioritizing social good over profit.
Founded in 1895, the International Cooperative Alliance represents the global cooperative movement and works to advance values of democracy, equality, and shared prosperity. Through the newly launched CM50 and the “Contract for a New Global Economy,” the ICA aims to position cooperatives as central actors in shaping a more just and sustainable future for all.
