On 1 July, the cooperative movement will celebrate the 2023 International Day of Cooperatives. This year, cooperatives around the world will be united by the slogan Cooperatives for sustainable development. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the global apex body representing cooperatives of which ICMIF is the sectoral body for insurance, says this day will be an opportunity to demonstrate how the cooperative way of working, inspired by the cooperative values and principles, has the accomplishment of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its DNA.

Later this year, in September 2023, the international community will mark the mid-point in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the UN 2023 SDG Summit and seek ways to accelerate progress in the SDGs. The ICA, which will attend the Summit, says this is therefore a real key moment to demonstrate the contribution of cooperatives in advancing the achievement of the SDGs.

“At the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda, efforts need to be deepened, and this can only be done with more cooperation. Enterprises, which are responsible for organising the production and distribution of goods and services, must focus on people and the planet. Cooperatives have a model for doing this, and have been demonstrating it for almost 200 years”, says the President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), Ariel Guarco.

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) has issued an invitation to cooperators across the globe to celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives and show the world what can be achieved through the power of cooperation.

The celebration will mark the 29th International Day of Cooperatives recognised by the United Nations and the 101st International Cooperative Day.

The 2023 #CoopsDay action pack including the logo, key messages and other digital resources is available now. Cooperatives are invited to download the materials in the action pack and share their activities with the ICA so they can be communicated more widely on and around Coops Day.

Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), have jointly set the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay.