by Joni Musabayana, Director ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean
The Caribbean is at a critical juncture. Climate change is battering our shores, global economic shocks are testing our resilience, and social inequalities continue to leave too many behind.
Amid these challenges, a powerful and time-tested solution quietly transforming our communities: cooperatives. The 2025 International Year of Cooperatives and the 103rd International Day of Cooperatives on 5 July offer a pivotal global moment to reflect on their impact and renew our commitment to their potential.
The cooperative model has deep roots in the Caribbean, dating back to the early 20th century. Cooperatives across sectors, from finance and agriculture to fisheries and retail, have contributed to creating decent work, fostering inclusive growth, and building sustainable local economies. Today, cooperatives thrive in countries like Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. What makes their story remarkable is how they’ve adapted through decades of change, from economic upheavals in the 1980s to the urgent climate crisis we face now, always grounded in democratic governance, shared ownership, and collective well-being.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has been a steadfast and strategic partner throughout this journey. Since opening its Caribbean Office in Port of Spain in 1969, the ILO has worked alongside national institutions and stakeholders to strengthen cooperative policy and practice. It was in the 1970s that the ILO, with support from the Danish International Development Agency, started strengthening cooperative institutions across the region. A landmark moment came in 2000, when the ILO and the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions convened a regional conference of Ministers of Cooperatives, laying the groundwork for harmonised cooperative legislation and long-term development strategies that continue to guide the work on cooperatives in the region today.
The technical support of the ILO to advancing cooperatives continues to evolve in the region. Today, in Dominica and Bermuda, new cooperative policies are being developed in consultation with local stakeholders to enhance resilience and adapt frameworks to current challenges. In Guyana, capacity strengthening of support institutions is revitalising cooperatives. The ILO is partnering with the FAO-led FISH4ACP initiative to strengthen artisanal fisheries cooperatives, promoting sustainable shrimp harvesting and advancing the inclusion of women in the industry. In Suriname, agro-cooperatives are receiving tailored support for strengthening pineapple-producing cooperatives under the Joint Programme Accelerating Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Transformation in Suriname (ASTA). In Belize, indigenous communities are reinforcing their local social and solidarity economy entities through initiatives like the EU-funded ILO PROSPER Project that positions cooperatives as key drivers of inclusive and sustainable development.
These initiatives demonstrate the ILO’s longstanding commitment to people-centred development. Grounded in the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193), the ILO recognises cooperatives as critical to advancing its mandate for decent work, social justice, and sustainable development. Building on this foundation, the ILO has expanded its vision to include the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE), where cooperatives continue to play a central role. The adoption of the ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Social and Solidarity Economy in 2022 and the follow-up strategy and action plan (2023-29) are clear manifestations of that commitment.
The true success of cooperatives is best seen in the livelihoods they create and the communities they strengthen. It’s the fisherman in Dominica who gained access to finance, securing his family’s future through his credit union. It’s the 30 agro-cooperatives in Suriname that have expanded their networks, modernised their practices and increased incomes of their members through targeted support. These are not isolated cases. They are how cooperatives work through economic democracy to empowering their members and uplifting their communities.
Governments, in consultation with social partners, and in line with ILO Recommendation No. 193 and the 2022 Resolution on decent work and the SSE can adopt laws and policies that foster a conducive environment for cooperatives to thrive. These should uphold fundamental principles and rights at work, ensure fair competition, and recognise the unique role of cooperatives in advancing decent work and social justice.
National development plans and inclusive financing mechanisms can incorporate cooperatives and the wider SSE, especially in key sectors like agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, care and digital services, where they support sustainable livelihoods and community resilience.
Cooperatives can play a transformative role in employment creation, skills development, formalisation, and social inclusion. Documenting and sharing evidence of their impact can inform policy and encourage replication.
Education and training systems can integrate cooperative principles and practices in curricula, preparing young people to lead the cooperatives of tomorrow. Targeted investments in capacity-building, institutional support and partnerships can expand the reach of cooperatives and SSE entities that empower workers, reduce inequalities and enhance resilience. These efforts should be supported through coherent national, local, and regional strategies, in coordination with international organisations and financial institutions providing technical and financial support.
In 2025 and beyond, let’s build on the long and successful history and move towards a renewed commitment to ensure that the cooperative movement continues to drive a brighter, fairer Caribbean future.
