87th ICA International Co-operative Day

(4 July 2009)

"Driving global recovery through co-operative enterprise"

This year the theme of the International Day focuses on the opportunities for co-operatives to highlight how they not only promote economic growth, but also promote their ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. It underlines the fact that co-operatives are enterprises that can effectively contribute to global economic recovery, but also that these enterprises will do so in respect of the co-operative values and principles which guide their operations.

The recent Cooperatives Europe conference in Sofia, Bulgaria focussed on the co-operative response to the economic downturn :- Co-operating together social interest, trust and solidarity. The aim of the conference in Sofia was to highlight the strengths of co-operative enterprises that, even in a period of crisis, provide democratic regulation and an innovative dimension. Indeed, by leading people to act by and for themselves, the co- operative movement implements a sustainable and fair development.

It is not presumptuous to say that the co-operative approach - through its origins, but also the practice of democracy, participation, governance and social responsibility unique to the co-operative movement – has proven itself. Our people centered business model offers an important element in the response to overcome the current crisis.

Read the ICA message for the International Day of Co-operatives English French Spanish Basque Italian Portuguese

Message of the United Nations Secretary-General English (pdf) - Français (pdf) - Español (pdf) Russian (pdf)

Read:- Resilience of the co-operative business model in times of crisis: New ILO report