13 years after its inaugural celebration in 2012, the second International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) will make a welcoming return in 2025. 

Background on International Year of Co-operatives 2025

News of the celebration first surfaced last year at the United Nations (UN) 47^th plenary meeting – General Assembly.

Co-sponsored by over 100 nations, the UN resolution also underscores the relevance of co-operatives in different domains. The UN resolution also encourages government bodies to consult co-operatives as part of their National Reviews.

“The proclamation of a new International Year of Co-operatives 13 years after the first one proves the strong recognition by the UN and national governments of the capacity of co-operatives to push forward the Agenda 2030 and build a fairer and more prosperous world for everyone,” said Mr Ariel Guarco, the President of International Co-operative Alliance (ICA).

“This is the second time in history that the UN has dedicated an international year to co-operatives, and this is not a coincidence,” he said.  

First held in 2012, IYC was first commemorated to honour how co-operatives contribute to socio-economic development. Singapore celebrated IYC2012 at the 30^th Anniversary Dinner of the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF), which involved more than 12,000 co-operative members and then Minister of Education Heng Swee Keat.

“Driven by concern for all communities, co-operatives have successfully adapted to overcome the evolving challenges of our time, and have shown repeatedly throughout history, that together we are indeed building a better world,” Mr Guarco added.

A soft launch of IYC2025 held on July 9

The celebration, otherwise known as IYC2025, had a soft launch at the UN Headquarters in New York in early July.

Organised by the UN Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Mongolia and Kenya to the UN, the soft launch event unveiled media plans and discussed UN resolutions outlining the modalities for IYC2025.

The soft launch event coincided with this year’s International Day of Co-operatives (July 6) celebration.

The official launch will be celebrated at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference in New Delhi, India later this year. The theme for IYC2025 is ‘Cooperatives Build a Better World’.

“We're very proud of this (slogan),” said Mr Guarco. “(The slogan) is the expression of the daily action of all these co-operatives. And we also have a sense of responsibility.”

He added: “We know that the world is looking towards us, perhaps as they've never done before, to use co-operatives as the most direct vehicle towards sustainable development. Humbly, I think that we are up to this responsibility.”

ICA Director General, Mr Jeroen Douglas, said: “The global conference that the ICA is organising is not just a conference, it's a call to action.”

“We will want to do our main efforts to set up a sprint together for all those who fight for those Sustainable Development Goals, and the global conference is the kick-off moment for that sprint, following also the Secretary General's word this is the decade of action,” Mr Douglas added.                                                                                                                                 

According to ICA’s Director of Policy Joseph Njugna, a steering committee will be set up for IYC to develop and implement an action plan for the year. “We aim to promote the unique strengths, identity, principles and values of the cooperative business model. Our goal is to inspire greater recognition,” he said.

To date, more than 12 per cent of humanity is part of any of the three million co-operatives in the world, according to the statistic by ICA reports. 10 per cent of the world’s employed population work in a co-operative.

The full recording of the soft launch event can be viewed here.

Singapore Co-operative Movement Reaches 100-year-old in 2025

2025 will also be a momentous occasion for the Singapore Co-operative Movement.

Next year, three co-operatives – Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-operative, Singapore Statutory Board Employees’ Co-operative, Citiport Credit Co-operative – will turn 100 years old, marking the movement’s centennial presence on the sunny island.

Stay tuned as SNCF unveils plans for the centennial celebrations.

By Sng Ler Jun

Image Credit: United Nations DESA Division for Inclusive Social Development's Facebook