July 3- International Day of Cooperatives

Cooperatives are people-centered enterprises owned, controlled, and run by and for their members to realize their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. The cooperative movement stands for providing people and community-centered solutions to almost all the areas of our social and economic life, e.g., cooperative finance, cooperative agriculture, cooperative healthcare measures, etc. Being resourced by the local community, cooperatives provide long-lasting and sustainable solutions to these problems. Cooperatives have contributed immensely to control the deadly impact of the current pandemic. It is therefore essential to recognize their role in providing a resilient framework for recovery and growth

Some Remarkable Facts & Figures about Cooperative are as below: 

  • More than 12% of humanity is part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world;
  • The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals report a total turnover of 2,034.98 billion USD;
  • Cooperatives employ 280 million people across the globe (10% of the world’s employed population).

International Day of Cooperatives 

ُThis day has been observed by cooperatives worldwide since 1923, and the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed it on the centenary of the ICA in 1995. This day aims to increase awareness of cooperatives and promote the movement’s ideas of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace. Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), have jointly set the theme for the celebration of this day. This year’s celebration will be the 27th International Day of Cooperatives recognized by the United Nations and the 99th International Cooperative Day.

The theme for 2021: Rebuild better together

The theme for this year is based on navigating the recovery path for Covid-19 and how cooperatives can contribute to this recovery path. This year, cooperatives worldwide will showcase best practices adopted to provide solidarity and resilience in providing people-centric and ecologically just recoveries from the pandemic. In the fields of health, agriculture, production, retail, finance, housing, employment, education, social services, and many other spheres where cooperatives are found, the more than one billion cooperative members worldwide continue to prove that no one needs to face a crisis like the pandemic on their own. The theme is in line with the Strategic Plan 2020-2030, named “A People-Centred Path to a Second Cooperative Decade.” It intends to drive the world towards sustainable recovery from the pandemic.

For more information click here and here. 

Shristi Banerjee, 

Practicing Advocate, High Court of Jharkhand (India)