The International Co-operative Alliance has launched a fundraising call to increase the visibility of co-ops working to build a sustainable future.
It is urging the co-operative movement to “fully explore this unprecedented opportunity” and wants encouraging members to help promote the sector’s work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Future activities include monitoring the actions of the co-operative movement, awareness-raising campaign, releasing papers and reports, providing methodological and training tools, establishing an expert group and developing a certification system.
Launched in 2016, the SDGs aim to address the world’s greatest challenges, particularly those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The 17 goals set specific targets to be achieved by 2030.
In a fundraising document, the ICA says its current instruments are not sufficient to advocate the co-operative sector’s contribution to the SDGs or the need for a more favourable policy environment that would allow co-operatives to contribute even more to sustainable development.
Its current data is not sufficient to report, between now and 2030, on how or to what extent co-operatives are contributing to the SDGs. However, the ICA believes achieving this would offer unprecedented global visibility to the co-operative movement.
Its global office, funded through membership fees and the ICA-EU partnership programme Cooperatives in Development – People centered businesses in action, is providing a other services, including back office administration, surveys and consultations with members, and organising the ICA global conferences.
To continue to support the work around the SDGs, the ICA is now seed funding, and hopes to launch the new initiative over the next few months.
ICA members and co-ops wishing to make a donation can transfer funds into the bank account of the International Co-operative Alliance: IBAN: BE70 7340 3713 3225 BIC: KREDBEBB. More information on the campaign is available on ICA’s website.
