The Cooperative model is now seen as a significant cog in the wheel that drives social development worldwide and one that is people-centred and is set to receive recognition in the upcoming November summit in Doha.
Konstantinos Papadakis, Principal Social Affairs Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), has disclosed that during the second World Summit for Social Development that will take place in Doha, November 2025, the UN plans to recognise the cooperative model, not as a niche, but as a proven, people centred approach to sustainable development.
He made these remarks recently when the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives marked the International Day of Cooperatives with a high-level event on July 8, at the United Nations’ (UN) headquarters in New York.
This meeting highlighted the cooperative sector’s role in tackling multiple global crises and working towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Figures from Kenya show that there are over 35,000 registered cooperative societies, with over 1.8 million members, the sector having a total asset base of Ksh 1.5 trillion, savings and deposits of over Ksh 1 trillion and a loan book worth more than Ksh 980 billion. Kenya’s cooperative sector also employs half a million people directly and 3 million indirectly.
Kenya’s cooperative sector plays a vital role in aggregation, primary processing, transport, marketing, social mobilization, financial inclusion and has large prints in virtually all sectors of the economy.
Charles Katoanga, Director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development at UN-DESA said, “Thirty years ago, at the World Summit of Social Development in Copenhagen, the world leaders pledged to place people at the centre of development and call for a global commitment to eradicate poverty, achieve full employment, and foster social integration. It was a bold vision for a just and inclusive world. Yet the richest 1% now owns more wealth than 95% of humanity. The urgency to act has never been greater.”
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Cooperatives Societies worldwide are now considered as an alternative to democratically governed, people-centred organisations that embody the principles in the Copenhagen Declaration and forge solutions to global challenges.
From rural villages to urban centres, co-operatives are proving that economic success and social solidarity can go hand in hand.
Permanent representative of Mongolia to the UN, Ankhbayar Nyamdorj, described the Cooperative movement in Asia-Pacific as a “very dynamic, evolving force with strong presence in various sectors and growing potential to contribute to the region’s social and economic development.”
Amb. Yabesh G. Monari, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN, also talked about the success of the Kenya cooperative movement, which, he said, is an expression of a core Kenyan principle of Harambee, meaning ‘pull together’.
Dynishal Gross, Commissioner at the New York City Department of Small Business Services, explained why worker Cooperatives are seen by the city’s government as an essential strategy to reduce inequality, and supported via the Worker Co-operative Business Development Initiative.
“In its current iteration, the city of New York’s Worker Cooperative, Business Development Initiative strengthens and empowers the existing ecosystem of cooperative development, with tools, best practices, and resources for continued success.”
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During the UN meeting, there was a panel discussion on how credit unions can advance the SDGs, which featured contributions from Alison Coates, director of climate strategy and performance at Vancity credit union in Canada; David McAuley, CEO of Donore Credit Union in Ireland; and Thomas Belekevich, Costa Rica-based director of m He made these remarks recently when the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives marked the International Day of Cooperatives with a high-level event on 8th July at the United Nations’ (UN) headquarters in New York.
The event’s second session explored lessons from New York City’s Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI), with contributions from Coby Kalter, executive director of business programmes at the New York City Department of Small Business Services; Anh-Thư Nguyễn, director of strategic partnerships at the Democracy at Work Institute; and Ricardo Lopez, corporate compliance officer at Cooperative Home Care Associates.
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Joao Martins, from the National Union of Family Farming and Solidarity Economy Cooperatives (Unicafes) in Brazil, explained how family farms are contributing to the SDGs in the run up to the COP30 taking place in Brazil later this year.
“We believe cooperatives must be at the heart of [the UN] Pact for the Future, and central to the deliberations of the Second World Summit for Social Development, not as passive recipients of aid, but as co-creators of development models rooted in solidarity, equity and collective wellbeing,” he said.
Katoanga concluded by reiterating the importance of the UN international year of cooperatives. “Let us together support and leverage the cooperative model to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world for generations to come,” he said.
By Jackson Okoth
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