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The 2019 International Day of Cooperatives was celebrated at the United Nations on Monday 8th July 2019 (the actual day falls on the first Saturday of July, and this year it is on 6 July). The theme for this year’s celebration was COOPS 4 DECENT WORK. The celebration featured the screening of a short documentary about the Bhabishya Nirman Sana Kishan cooperative, who are bringing decent work and expanding opportunities in the Dakshinkali municipality in Nepal. The documentary makers attended and took part in the interactive discussions.
Why this theme?
Given today’s widening inequality, increased job insecurity and high unemployment levels, particularly among youth, the 2019 #Coopsday theme was chosen to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 “Inclusive development and decent work.” As people-centred enterprises and key development actors, cooperatives have an important role to play in the creation of decent jobs and the social and economic empowerment of local communities. The second International Cooperative Principle, “Democratic member control,” enables communities to own and govern cooperatives jointly through democratic control that brings about inclusive and sustainable growth, leaving no one behind. During this celebration, the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), UN Ambassadors and government representatives and representatives of cooperatives engaged in an interactive debate on the role of cooperatives and how to further enhance their developmental impact.
Commemoration Event at UN Headquarters in New York
https://youtu.be/f7EhQmL_zFk The 2019 International Day of Cooperatives was celebrated at the United Nations in New York on Monday 8th July 2019 under the theme "COOPS 4 DECENT WORK".
AROUNDTHEWORLD.COOP | Bhabishya Nirman Sana Kishan from Nepal
https://youtu.be/bxyKmqPuhDo This documentary was featured during the International Day of Cooperatives at UN Headquarters in New York on 8 July 2019. The micro-finance cooperative Bhabishya Nirman Sana Kishan was created in the Dakshinkali municipality (Nepal) to revert a situation of abuse by big landlords of the region, who were offering loans to small farmers at a very high interest rate. The cooperative is also giving women and youth the opportunity to build their own future in a decent and sustainable way. Watch the video to know more about the encouraging stories of these active and courageous cooperators #coops4dev. Source: International Co-operative Alliance (ICA).
About the International Day of Cooperatives
On 16 December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution, which proclaimed the first Saturday of July 1995 as the International Day of Cooperatives, marking the centenary of the establishment of the International Co-operative Alliance. This year’s celebration was both the 25th United Nations International Day of Cooperatives and the 97th International Cooperative Day. The aim of this celebration was to increase awareness of cooperatives. The event underscored the contributions of the cooperative movement to resolving the major problems addressed by the United Nations and to strengthening and extending the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors. Since 1995, the COPAC has been setting the theme of the celebration. COPAC members are the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the International Labour Office (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO).
How are you celebrating it? Spread the Word and Connect with Us!
- Visit our websites at social.un.org/coops | www.un.org/en/events/cooperativesday/
- Visit our Partner’s websites: http://www.copac.coop/ | https://www.ica.coop
- Pledge your cooperative through the www.Coopsfor2030.coop campaign to show its commitment to the SDGs
- Follow us on twitter @UN4Coops | @UNDESASocial and on Facebook at facebook.com/UNDESASocial
- Use #CoopsDay for all your tweets on the International Day of Cooperatives
- Celebrating #CoopsDay? Planning a special activity? We want to know! Share your case studies showing how Coops build sustainable societies through cooperation! Tweet or email us at ngo@un.org.
Resources
COPAC briefs from the Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 series
Cooperative contributions to SDG 6: This brief focuses on SDG 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Cooperative contributions to SDG 7: This brief focuses on SDG 15 – ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Cooperative contributions to SDG 11: This brief focuses on SDG 11 – making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Cooperative contributions to SDG 12: This brief focuses on SDG 12 – ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. Cooperative contributions to SDG 15: This brief focuses on SDG 15 – protecting and restoring land resources.