The International Cooperative Alliance will celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay) next 4 July, the first Saturday of July, in accordance with the United Nations declaration. The slogan chosen for 2026 is “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World”, a theme that reflects the capacity of the cooperative model for people and nations, strengthening social cohesion and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, constituting a collective call for cooperative mobilisation aimed at actively contributing to peace.
This slogan highlights the role of cooperatives as “bridge builders”, bringing communities together, fostering dialogue and deepening resilience in an increasingly fragmented world, as warned by the ICA. Furthermore, the slogan is linked to the ICA Global Conference 2026 theme, which is “Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions to a Peaceful World”.
The slogan is also aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Meanwhile, the ICA and COPAC are preparing a report to highlight the contributions of cooperatives to the achievement of peace as part of the ICA/COs series of articles on the SDGs.
As stated by Jeroen Douglas, Director General of the ICA, “cooperatives have long contributed not only to preventing conflict, but also to generating justice, inclusion and trust. This is the fundamental basis of positive peace”, and he recalls that “across all sectors and regions, cooperatives help to create peaceful societies by strengthening local economies, expanding access to vital services, promoting democratic participation, creating opportunities for all, and fostering trust and solidarity”.
The International Day of Cooperatives
CoopsDay is supported every year by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), a UN body in which the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) itself are represented.
CoopsDay has been celebrated since 1923, and since 1995 the United Nations has officially proclaimed it the International Day of Cooperatives, with the aim of highlighting the role of cooperatives in economic and social development.
