On 26 September 2025, the ILO participated in the side event "Cooperatives in Culture for Diversity, Cultural Rights and Decent Work" during the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025).
The session, co-organized by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives (CICOPA), Abacus Cooperative and the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank (ASETT), brought together cooperative cultural practitioners and representatives from governments, international organizations and the cooperative movement to delve into the role of cooperatives as dynamic cultural actors and indispensable partners in building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
In her opening remarks, Simel Esim, Head of the ILO's Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit (COOP/SSE) and Chair of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), emphasized that cultural development lies at the heart of the mandate of the ILO for social justice. She recalled the Declaration of Philadelphia, an integral part of the ILO Constitution, which affirms the right of all people to pursue both material well-being and spiritual development in freedom and dignity. She underscored that recognizing the dual role of culture - as a source of authenticity, creativity and solidarity, but also as a force that can entrench bias, prejudice and exclusion - is essential for public policy that protects cultural rights and advances social justice.
© ILO
Esim highlighted the distinctive role of cooperatives in advancing cultural rights, decent work and decent lives. She pointed to their contributions in maintaining cultural traditions and protecting traditional knowledge and ensuring culturally appropriate services for Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. Cooperatives, she noted, create inclusive neighbourhoods and protect space for cultural life through cooperative housing initiatives, keep cultural venues alive through shared ownership and cooperative management, and extend finance to cultural enterprises where mainstream credit is scarce. She underlined that in education they foster cultural learning and participation, while in the digital sphere platform cooperatives enable creators to co-own data and decisions, protect rights and identity, and navigate AI and monetization. She added that producer and worker cooperatives can further strengthen bargaining power and link local cultural products to markets in ways that respect traditions.
Esim also noted that the ILO welcomed the ICA's global initiative to map cooperative heritage sites as living expressions of cultural identity and resilience. In concluding her remarks, she made a call to bring cooperatives into cultural policy and programming as partners of choice - grounded in international labour standards, drawing on the wisdom of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and committed to equality, dignity and sustainability.
© ILO
Speakers emphasized the importance of local action in fostering cooperative cultural initiatives. Examples shared during the discussions highlighted how cooperatives contribute across diverse cultural contexts - from cultural and creative industries ensuring diversity of voices and ownership, to schools and education initiatives fostering cultural literacy, democratic participation, diversity and lifelong learning. Participants underscored strategies linking cooperatives with cultural development and sustainable policies, while stressing the need for conducive environments to scale up cooperative contributions to advancing cultural rights, decent work and sustainable development.
The brief "Cooperatives as Key Actors in Positioning Culture as a Common Good" was also launched during the event, highlighting evidence, case studies and a call to embed culture as a stand-alone global goal for sustainable development.
As part of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, the event reaffirmed the role of cooperatives in culture as vital for advancing cultural rights and as key partners in building inclusive, democratic and sustainable societies.
