The UN International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July. The Day has four aims: increase awareness about cooperatives; highlight the complementary goals and objectives of the UN and the international cooperative movement; underscore the contributions of the movement to the resolution of major problems addressed by the UN; and strengthen/extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors.

The theme for 2018 is Sustainable consumption and production, which creates an opportunity for cooperatives to show how they run successful businesses while respecting the natural environment and the resources it offers. This allows local and global policy-makers to learn how cooperatives can contribute to more sustainable and resilient societies and work, particularly through their involvement in policy-making processes.

CNVP is a leading international civil society organisation that is active in all six Balkan countries. It uses evidence-based analysis to improve the sustainable livelihoods of rural communities affected by the ongoing process of environmental pollution and climate change. It exchanges information on trans-boundary eco-system management with institutes, universities and other sector-specific organizations, including cooperatives.

CNVP’s four core values focus on:

• Green       intervening to improve the environment during ongoing climate change
• Clean        promoting renewable energy and improved waste management
• Seen         operating in the Balkans and the European Neighbourhood Space
• Lean          improving the efficiency of service delivery continuously and systematically