Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC2025) to highlight how cooperatives advance sustainable development by strengthening resilience, promoting inclusion, and supporting people and communities through collective action.
The SDG 16 brief, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, highlights the essential role cooperatives play in advancing peace, justice, accountability, and inclusive governance. Built on democratic ownership, participation, and solidarity, cooperatives strengthen social cohesion, foster trust, empower communities, and contribute to more transparent, representative, and resilient institutions while addressing some of the root causes of conflict and exclusion.
Drawing on case studies from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, the brief showcases how cooperatives contribute to peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery, gender equality, community reconciliation, democratic participation, and inclusive local governance. From rebuilding trust in Rwanda and supporting resilient livelihoods in Ukraine to strengthening women’s land rights in Nepal and promoting gender justice in Argentina, these examples demonstrate how cooperative enterprises translate the principles of SDG 16 into practical, community-led solutions.
Produced by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the brief underscores that achieving peaceful, just, and inclusive societies requires strengthening institutions that people trust and participate in. During the International Year of Cooperatives and beyond, cooperatives offer proven, locally rooted, and scalable approaches to advancing positive peace, democratic governance, and sustainable development for all.
The policy brief is available for download in English, French, and Spanish.