Philosopher Thomas Hobbes, writing in the 17th century, defined peace as the absence of war; this definition – known as “negative peace”, has since been criticised for failing to take into the underlying causes of conflict, such as inequality, injustice and social tensions.
In the 20th century a new idea arose, one of “positive peace” – which peace study academics define as “the presence of social justice, equity, and the absence of structural violence”.
In his address at the International Symposium on Cooperatives and International Law, Judge Mahmoud Hmoud referred to peace as “not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice and shared values”.
The symposium was held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the home of the International Court of Justice, whose mandate is settling legal disputes between UN member states and providing advisory opinions on legal questions.
The event, marking UN Day, the anniversary of the UN Charter taking force on 24 October, 1945, was an opportunity to highlight co-ops as contributors to peace and international law. “Peace must be built every single day together,” said Cooperatives Europe president Giuseppe Guerini.
“We must be the movement that persistently encourages people to engage in dialogue, in seeking social justice and calling for peace.”
Related: How can co-ops keep the momentum from the international year?
“Social justice is a very important component of peace – and that’s one of the most important elements of co-operatives’ work,” said Andrew Allimadi, chair of the Committee for the Promotion of Cooperatives (Copac).
Resolutions on co-operation enjoy some of the highest levels of support at the UN General Assembly, he added, and resolutions on the International Year of Cooperatives Resolutions will be introduced every ten years to give the movement time to prepare activities.
“Co-operatives by their very nature embody the values of solidarity, equity and democratic participation that lie at the heart of the ILO,” said Corrine Vargha, head of International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
She explained how, in addition to contributing to maintaining peace, co-operatives contribute to international law, particularly through the Statement on the Cooperative Identity, which includes the seven co-operative values and principles. Vargha also set out the role of ILO Recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Cooperatives, the only international labour standard dedicated to co-operatives with a universal application.
“Respect for ILO standards is not just a legal obligation,” she added, “it is a cornerstone of peace and shared prosperity.”
Ariel Guarco, president of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) emphasised the role of co-ops in driving sustainable development, as enterprises that promote solidarity, democracy and social responsibility.
“The increasing harmony between co-operative and international law gives hope for advancing toward societies where co-operation drives decent work, gender equality, and environmental care,” he said.
Prof Hagen Henry, chair of the ICA Cooperative Law Committee, said the statement encourages co-operatives to contribute to sustainable development. National co-operative law should be aligned with the co-operative principles, he argued, leaving room for a variety of legal solutions.
Earlier this month, Henry, alongside ICA legislation director Santosh Kumar, attended International Court of Justice proceedings on the right to strike, where they shared the global co-operative movement’s perspective. The ICA supports the view of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.
“The less workers can achieve in terms of social justice, the more co-ops have to do for social justice,” said Henry. “Responding that the right to strike is not protected could have serious implications for the co-operative movement.”
Monica Viviana Tepfer, legal officer and project legal coordinator at ITUC, said her organisation is leading a campaign to regulate the platform economy. Here, too, it has the support of the ICA and recent developments have been encouraging, with a binding convention and recommendation is set to be negotiated at the 2026 International Labour Conference.
With 2025 being the UN International Year of Cooperatives, the symposium, said ICA director general Jeroen Douglas, was an opportunity for co-ops to give something back to the UN. Douglas also reaffirmed the ICA’s role as a global authority on co-operative law and policy and outlined new initiatives inspired by the symposium.
These include evidence-based sector reports, partnerships to build an expert network
and stronger engagement with governments on legal reform.
In addition to these keynotes, the symposium touched on issues such as the preservation of cultural heritage, the harmonisation of co-operative law, and the need to ensure a level playing field for co-ops in terms of tax and regulation.
