International Day of Cooperatives
International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated on the first Saturday of July every year. It was first celebrated under the auspices of the United Nations in 2005, though its history as a day celebrated by the international cooperative movement and the International Co-operative Alliance goes back to 1923. The aim of the International Day is to increase awareness on cooperatives and and promote the values and principles that make the cooperative model suitable for advancing sustainable development. The International Day also aims to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors, including international organizations, and governments and social partners, at local, national and international levels.
Each year the theme of the International Day of Cooperatives is determined by the Committee on the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), of which the ILO is a member.
ILO’s Director-General has provided statements for the International Day of Cooperatives from 2010 to 2017, 2019 to 2020 and 2022 and 2023. Senior ILO Management representatives have also participated and presented in activities around the International Day of Cooperatives. Below are some links for these statements and activities.
The full text of the statement is available here in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Turkish and Vietnamese.
The theme for the 2021 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives for building a people-centred and environmentally just recovery” as determined by the Committee on the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC). The theme is closely linked to building back better together from the social and economic impact of the COVID19 global pandemic.
Each year the theme of the International Day of Cooperatives is determined by the Committee on the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), of which the ILO is a member.
ILO’s Director-General has provided statements for the International Day of Cooperatives from 2010 to 2017, 2019 to 2020 and 2022 and 2023. Senior ILO Management representatives have also participated and presented in activities around the International Day of Cooperatives. Below are some links for these statements and activities.
2023
Statement by the Director-General for the International Day of Cooperatives - 1 July 2023. The theme for the 2023 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives: partners for accelerated sustainable development” .The full text of the statement is available here in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Turkish and Vietnamese.
2022
Statement by the Director-General for the International Day of Cooperatives - 2 July 2022. The theme for the 2022 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives Build a Better World”.2021
Statement by ILO Deputy Director General for Policy for the International Day of Cooperatives – 3 July 2021The theme for the 2021 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives for building a people-centred and environmentally just recovery” as determined by the Committee on the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC). The theme is closely linked to building back better together from the social and economic impact of the COVID19 global pandemic.
The full text of the statement is available here.
1 minute video of the statement is available here.
1 minute video of the "The COVID-19 response: Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations" is available here.
1 minute video of the statement is available here.
2020
- Statement by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder for the International Day of Cooperatives – 4 July 2020: The theme for the 2020 International Day is "Cooperatives for Climate Action” as determined by COPAC. The theme is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13. The full text of the statement is available here.
- A film on "The COVID-19 response: Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations".
1 minute video of the "The COVID-19 response: Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations" is available here.
- A film on "Cooperatives for Climate Action": The film was created for the International Day of Cooperatives 2020. It is available in English, with subtitles in French and Spanish.
2019
- Message from ILO Director-General Guy Ryder for the International Day of Cooperatives 2019 – 6 July 2019: In commemoration of the ILO’s centenary, the theme of the 2019 International Day of Cooperatives was "Cooperatives for Decent Work" which is closely linked to SDG8. The full text is available here.
- A film on cooperatives and decent work created for the International Day of Cooperatives 2019
2018
- A future of work based on sustainable production and employment
- ILO participates in an observance of the International Day of Cooperatives at the United Nations, New York
- ILO participates in an international forum on cooperative development in the Pacific Islands
- Sustainable development is not a choice, but the only way
2017
- Cooperatives help to build inclusive economies and societies. Message by ILO's Director General Guy Ryder for International Day of Cooperatives 2017 - 1 July 2017
- ILO celebrates the International Day of Cooperatives by focusing on workers in the informal economy
- International Day of Cooperatives: Cooperation among workers in the informal economy