By Jerome Alangui-Muguet Polonio, Ph.D. 
This November, the eyes of the global cooperative community will turn to Doha, Qatar, where the Closing Ceremony of the UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) will take place during the Second World Summit for Social Development. Organized by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), this historic event on 4 November 2025 comes exactly three decades after the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995.
As someone deeply engaged in the cooperative movement, I see this milestone not simply as a closing ceremony, but as a powerful moment of reckoning and renewal. Cooperatives worldwide have proven—time and again—that they are not just alternative business models but essential drivers of fairer economies, stronger communities, and more resilient societies.
ICA President Ariel Guarco put it succinctly: “Cooperatives have demonstrated their power to build fairer, more resilient economies and societies. As we close IYC2025 in Doha, we look ahead with renewed energy to expand the cooperative footprint as a key accelerator to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The Doha ceremony will highlight this vision through three significant launches:
· The ICA Global Strategy 2026–2030, setting clear priorities for the next decade of cooperative action.
· A special edition of the World Cooperative Monitor, measuring the movement’s global footprint and impact.
· The CM50 Manifesto and Global Commitment Plan, titled “A Contract for a New Global Economy.”
What makes these initiatives historic is not only their ambition but their grounding in the Doha Political Declaration, which will be adopted at the Summit. For the first time, UN Member States will formally acknowledge cooperatives as key actors in the social and solidarity economy—fostering entrepreneurship, creating decent work, reducing poverty, and driving social inclusion.
This is a recognition long overdue. For decades, cooperatives have quietly advanced development where other models fell short. From farmers’ groups to credit unions, from housing to health, from insurance to worker cooperatives—the breadth and depth of cooperative innovation has sustained millions worldwide. In the Philippines alone, cooperatives have empowered rural communities, supported small farmers, and created jobs that lift families out of poverty.
The presentation of the “Contract for a New Global Economy” by CM50, the leadership circle of some of the world’s largest cooperative and mutual businesses, will be among the most anticipated highlights. This is more than a statement of principles—it is a commitment to action. It signals to governments, multilateral agencies, and partners in academia that a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable economy is not just an aspiration, but already a reality in cooperative practice.
As we prepare to witness this historic event in Doha, my thoughts go back to the cooperative values we all share: self-help, solidarity, equity, and concern for community. These values are not abstract ideals—they are daily practices that build resilience in our communities. They remind us that genuine development cannot be measured solely in profit, but in the dignity, participation, and well-being of people.
The world today faces multiple crises—climate change, inequality, conflicts, and economic instability. Yet amid these challenges, cooperatives stand out as beacons of hope. They show that another economy—more humane, more inclusive, more sustainable—is not only possible but already underway.
The Closing Ceremony of IYC2025 is therefore more than an ending; it is a new beginning. It is the cooperative movement’s bold statement to the world: that together, through shared values and collective action, we can build a better future for all.
As cooperators in Benguet and across the Cordillera, we celebrate this moment with pride and renewed commitment. The story of cooperatives is our story too—and in unity, our voices reach the global stage.
Mabuhay ang kooperatiba! Mabuhay ang ating kilusang pandaigdig!
