Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives to showcase how cooperatives drive progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. The policy brief on SDG 4, Quality Education, highlights how cooperatives expand access to learning, promote lifelong skills development, and empower youth to participate fully in their communities and economies.
Drawing from real-world examples—from school cooperatives in Malaysia and Paraguay to cooperative universities in Kenya and Tanzania, and digital education initiatives in Chile and across Europe—the brief demonstrates how cooperatives create inclusive, community-based models of education that strengthen equity, participation, and opportunity for all.
Produced by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), this brief affirms the critical role of cooperatives in advancing SDG 4 during the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives and beyond.
The policy brief is available for download in English, French, and Spanish.
