“The 2030 Agenda is coming to life”, said UN Chief António Guterres on 24 September, referring to the blueprint for a healthier planet and a more just world, as he opened the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit in New York. But he warned that, despite progress, “we must step up our efforts. Now”.
When the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was launched four years ago, co-ops were excited. This was our arena. Our values and principles are aligned with the aims of creating a better world. Democracy, independence, education and concern for communities are co-op values which support and underpin a number of the SDGs, from zero hunger (SDG #2) and quality education (#4) to gender equality (#5), decent work and economic growth (#8), reduced inequalities (#10) and responsible consumption and production (#12).
Members of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) rallied to show their solidarity and commitment to this new global development policy, resulting in Coops for 2030 – an online platform for co-ops to learn about the SDGs, make pledges to help achieve them and track their progress. And there have been some phenomenal successes.
But September’s UN meeting came with a stark warning. Mr Guterres said that while the progress made on some of the agenda aims was welcome – such as an end to extreme poverty and hunger, a low carbon economy, peaceful and just societies, and human rights for all – the world is set to miss the deadline. Deadly conflicts, the climate crisis and gender-based violence shoulder some of the blame, he said, as should persistent inequality: “Half the wealth around the world is held by people who could fit around a conference table and, at the current pace, almost 500 million people could remain in extreme poverty by 2030.”
To tackle this, the UN chief called for global action in areas such as conflict prevention, development finance, and the climate crisis; local action to make a difference in people’s lives; and building up partnerships that include civil society, media, the private sector, academia and others. And he welcomed the adoption of the Summit’s political declaration, “Gearing up for a Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development”, which calls for enhanced action to achieve the Goals. Member states pledge to mobilise financing, enhance national implementation and strengthen institutions to achieve the objectives of the Agenda, and leave no one behind.
How can co-ops respond to this? The agenda of the ICA’s Global Conference, held in Rwanda this month (13-17 October), is underpinned by discussions around the SDGs. But as the incoming President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammed-Bande, told UN delegates: “It is necessary to think of new ways of accelerating SDGs action for those that are still behind … Progress is largely uneven within and across countries and regions.” One suggestion was to deepen partnerships, both to “unlock the trillions of dollars needed to finance the SDGs” and to “solve challenges”.
The declaration stated the need for “international cooperation” and “enhancing the global partnership”, recognising that the integrated nature of the SDGs requires a global response.
It is this partnership work, this co-operation, where co-operatives should be thriving. Over the next few pages we hear about the role education has to play this, and we speak to some of the key voices who will be discussing the SDGs at the ICA event. Sustainable development is still the arena for co-ops.
But we have to do it bigger, better and faster, with more trust and with more co-operation.
