EXCELLENCE
Agenda 2030: Co-operatives Contributions to the UN SDGs By June Njoroge
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he 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, was recently concluded in the last half of September; the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was a key area of focus. In light of this, its imperative to take stock of the contributions made by Co-operatives; who were identified as key partners, in the implementation and acceleration of the Agenda 2030, for Sustainable Development. The Agenda was adopted by United Nations Member States and World Leaders in 2015; it sets out the roadmap or blueprint, for a future of shared prosperity and environmental sustainability. It stipulates 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action, by all countries; both developed and developing, in a unified global partnership. The goals are targeted towards poverty eradication, improving health and education; reducing inequality and spurring economic growth, whilst tackling climate change with the ultimate goal of preserving the planet. SDGs, aim to take the work begun in the year 2000, by the Millennium Development Goals and transform the world, through sustainable development, with the aforementioned 17 internationally agreed targets. In his inaugural speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, called for an urgent and transformative change, to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.He noted that Covid-19 had presented a drawback on the progress SDGs
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but was slowly recovering. The Co-operative enterprise model, has much in common with the 2030 Agenda. Synergies between Co-operatives and the 2030 Agenda, have been identified and leveraged effectively. In reiteration, by virtue of these acknowledged synergies, between the UN’s vision for a sustainable future and that of the Co-operative movement, its pretty succinct, that Co-operatives are key contributors to the achievement of the Agenda. The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Co-operatives(COPAC), has been carefully examining the contributions by Co-operatives, to the different SDGs and producing a series called ‘Transforming our world: A Co-operative 2030; of how Co-operatives, are directly contributing to every particular SDG.The Covid -19 Pandemic, has clearly demonstrated the resilience of the Co-operative model, arising as a critical actor of change, with Co-operatives, having aligned their work with the
SACCO TIMES | OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020
SDGs and established targets and indicators, to track achievements. COPAC hopes to raise awareness, about the significant contributions, of Co-operative enterprises, towards achieving the 2030 agenda, in a sustainable, inclusive and responsible way; encouraging continued support for their efforts. Currently, Co-operatives, are in Phase two of implementing the Blueprint for a ‘Co-operative Decade,’ a global strategy, for the Co-operative business model, to be the acknowledged leader in economic, social and environmental sustainability, model preferred by people and the fastest growing form of enterprise.
