TEHRAN - The International Day of Cooperatives is marked every year on July 4. The 2026 theme of the  International Day of Cooperatives, “Cooperatives for a peaceful world”, affirms the contribution of cooperative enterprises to social justice, inclusion and solidarity. 

It recognizes cooperatives as people-centered institutions that can help build trust, strengthen social cohesion and bring communities together around shared needs and aspirations. In a world marked by conflict, inequality, social fragmentation and declining trust, the theme recalls that peace is more than the absence of violence: it also requires inclusion, fairness, dialogue and economic security.

Announced by the International Cooperative Alliance, this year's theme also reflects the capacity of the cooperative model to serve as a bridge between people and communities. Through democratic ownership, open membership and collective responsibility, cooperatives create spaces in which people can participate, be heard and work together across social and economic divides. Rooted in communities and connected through an international movement, they support livelihoods, decent work, poverty reduction, social integration and peacebuilding among peoples, communities and nations.

A people-centered form of enterprise

Defined by the International Cooperative Alliance as autonomous associations of persons who voluntarily unite to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprises, cooperatives place people at the centre of economic life. They are not driven by capital alone, nor are they designed primarily to serve outside investors. Their purpose is to serve their members, who may be consumers, workers, producers, service users, independent business owners or communities seeking collective solutions to common challenges.

This distinctive model rests on an ethical foundation. Cooperatives are guided by the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members also uphold honesty, openness, social responsibility, and care for others. These values give cooperatives their particular character as institutions through which people share responsibility, exercise democratic voice and use enterprise to advance human dignity, social inclusion and community well-being.

Rising importance in light of global challenges

Bahman Abdollahi, the head of Iran Chamber of Cooperatives has said the cooperatives sector’s importance is rising in light of mounting global challenges ranging from political and economic rivalries to widening inequality and environmental crises.

“Cooperation is about wealth creation and growth without crushing others. It prevents destructive and unhealthy competition,” Abdollahi said in September 2025 on the sidelines of an international event held in Tehran on cooperative economy.

He argued that the cooperative model goes beyond profit maximization by distributing success among all members and fostering collective resilience.

The official urged Iranian policymakers to give greater attention to the untapped capacity of cooperatives, saying they can act as engines of social justice, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

“Success in cooperatives is shared by all. These businesses can be drivers of justice, sustainable growth, and protection of natural resources,” he further noted.