International Day of Cooperatives Date in the current year: July 6, 2024

A cooperative is an autonomous association of people who voluntarily cooperate for their mutual benefit. The first international association formed by the cooperative movement was the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). It was founded in London in August 1895. As of March 2015, the Alliance represents 283 member organizations across 94 countries.

The United Nations General Assembly created the International Day of Cooperatives to increase awareness on the international cooperative movement and its contribution to the resolution of the major problems of sustainable development. Cooperatives make significant contributions to the economic, political, social and cultural advancement of individual communities and entire nations.

The date of International Day of Cooperatives was selected to coincide with International Cooperative Day that has been celebrated by the ICA since 1923. It was first held in 1995 and has been celebrated each year ever since at the international, national and local levels.