The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) will host the Closing Ceremony of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) on 4 November at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, marking a historic moment for the global cooperative movement.
Scheduled from 11:30 to 12:45 as part of the Second World Summit for Social Development, the event will bring together world leaders, UN officials, policymakers, cooperative heads, and international partners to celebrate three decades of progress since the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995. The Doha ceremony aims to cement the role of cooperatives as a transformative force in building a fairer global social contract.
ICA President Ariel Guarco underscored the rising relevance of the movement in global development discourse. He said cooperatives have shown their ability to shape more resilient economies and communities and noted that both the draft Doha Political Declaration and the latest report of the UN Secretary-General acknowledge this contribution.
He added that as IYC2025 comes to a close in Doha, the cooperative movement is ready to scale its impact as a driver of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The ceremony will be more than a symbolic closure. It will launch three significant initiatives to guide cooperative action in the coming years. The ICA Global Strategy 2026–2030 will outline strategic priorities for the next decade, covering growth, advocacy, sustainability, and cooperative identity.
A special edition of the World Cooperative Monitor, dedicated entirely to IYC2025, will highlight the global economic and social impact of cooperatives across sectors. The CM50 Manifesto and Global Commitment Plan, titled “A Contract for a New Global Economy,” will offer a blueprint for expanding cooperative influence in line with the UN 2030 Agenda and emerging challenges.
The event is expected to formally adopt the Doha Political Declaration of the World Social Summit. In this document, UN Member States recognise cooperatives as core actors in the social and solidarity economy, citing their role in entrepreneurship, job creation, social inclusion, and poverty eradication. The Declaration positions cooperatives at the heart of strategies for social transformation and sustainable development.
This reinforcement is aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report on cooperatives in social development, released in August, which calls upon governments to create stronger legal and policy frameworks for cooperative expansion. The two milestones signal a growing international consensus that cooperatives are indispensable partners in shaping a democratic and sustainable global order.
The Closing Ceremony, titled “Cooperatives Build a Better World: Supporting the SDGs and the Outcomes of the World Social Summit,” will open with keynote remarks from heads of state and senior global leaders. These interventions will set the stage for a programme focused on social justice, decent work, and sustainable growth.
A roundtable discussion will follow, showcasing the practical achievements of cooperatives across sectors such as agriculture, housing, health, finance, fisheries, insurance, consumer services, and worker-owned enterprises. These examples are intended to highlight how cooperative principles drive innovation, inclusivity, and resilience in diverse contexts.
A central feature of the Doha proceedings will be the presentation of the “Contract for a New Global Economy” by CM50, the Cooperatives and Mutuals Leadership Circle. CM50 brings together 50 leaders from some of the world’s most influential cooperative and mutual enterprises.
In Doha, they will present their roadmap for expanding the cooperative model’s market share and strengthening its voice in global economic governance. The plan stresses partnership between cooperative enterprises, governments, international institutions, and academia, asserting that a more equitable economic model is already functioning in many parts of the world and can be scaled with the right policy support and investment.
The Doha events are scheduled across two days, with the CM50 meeting and the launch of its manifesto and commitment plan on 3 November at the Hilton Doha. The Closing Ceremony of IYC2025 will follow on 4 November at the Qatar National Convention Centre, integrated into the World Social Summit for Social Development taking place from 4 to 6 November.
The ICA will use these platforms to not only mark the culmination of the International Year of Cooperatives but also set out a long-term vision for their role in shaping the next phase of global economic and social policy.
The ceremony will be broadcast live via UN Web TV, enabling global audiences to follow the discussions and announcements. Organisations accredited for the World Social Summit may attend in person. The ICA will also release full details of the CM50 programme and related materials in the coming days, ensuring that the commitments made in Doha are backed by clear strategies and collaborative frameworks.