The International Cooperative Alliance has announced the theme for the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) as ‘Cooperatives Build a Better World’, showcasing the enduring global impact cooperatives have everywhere. This milestone will highlight how the cooperative model is an essential solution to overcome many global challenges and continues to play an important role in accelerating efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

On 19 June 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (watch from 02:44:05 recording of the UNGA Session. Draft UN resolution A/78/L.71 on the IYC2025 can be found here. The text recommends ways to celebrate and encourages all Member States, the United Nations, and relevant stakeholders to leverage this event to promote cooperatives’ contribution to social and economic development. Among others, Member States and cooperatives are also invited to consider establishing national committees to coordinate and prepare for all IYC2025 activities.

A soft launch of the IYC2025 will be conducted on 9 July 2024 during the UN High-Level Political Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York. 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 this hybrid event. Organisers plan to unveil the IYC2025 theme, the roadmap of the event and communications materials that the UN teams are currently developing. For more information about the hybrid event, please visit.