COPAC to share cooperative contributions to eradicating poverty with UN ambassadors

On 1st February 2018, the members of COPAC will raise awareness about how cooperatives help eradicate poverty, during a high-level lunch for ambassadors at the United Nations.

The event, “Cooperatives: Developing people-focused strategies to eradicate poverty”, will welcome 30 guests to discuss cooperative contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) on ending poverty.

Co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, the luncheon will see remarks from COPAC members, government representatives and representatives of the cooperative movement.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • His Excellency Sukhbold Sukhee, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the UN
  • Mr. Vinicius Carvalho Pinheiro, Special Representative to the United Nations and Director, International Labour Organization Office for the United Nations (as Chair of COPAC)
  • Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
  • Ariel Guarco, President, International Co-operative Alliance
  • Nandini Azad, President, Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW), India
  • John Mulangeni Nkosi, Project Manager, The Co-operative College, Malawi
  • Carla Mucavi, Director, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations

During the event, COPAC will launch the first of its Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 briefs, a series that will highlight cooperative contributions to each of the seventeen SDGs. The brief being released will focus on SDG 1.

COPAC will also announce the theme for the 2018 International Day of Cooperatives and kick off a social media campaign for the public to vote on the 2018 slogan. The guests present at the lunch will be encouraged to participate in the campaign.

The luncheon will take place during the ministerial segment of the 56th Commission for Social Development, an important opportunity for COPAC to promote the cooperative model’s achievements and potential.