Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 to highlight how cooperatives drive progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. The latest brief, produced by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) in collaboration with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), focuses on SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

The brief demonstrates how cooperatives strengthen global cooperation by linking grassroots initiatives to national strategies and international frameworks. Drawing on examples ranging from farmer cooperatives in East Timor and the Philippines to cooperative finance networks in Colombia, Armenia, and beyond, it shows how cooperatives act as trusted partners in development, mobilising resources, expanding access to finance, and building resilience in communities that are often left behind.

By underscoring the cooperative model’s ability to unite diverse stakeholders and foster inclusive growth, the publication affirms the critical role of cooperatives in advancing SDG 17 during the IYC 2025 and well into the future.