Declaration of the International Summit of Cooperatives

The International Summit of Cooperatives in Quebec City concluded with the Declaration of the International Summit of Cooperatives. This Declaration will be presented at the end of October in Manchester, at the ICA General Assembly at Co-operatives United – the global culmination event for the International Year of Co-operatives, which will be attended by 10,000 participants. It will then be presented to the United Nations.

Summit participants acknowledged the important contribution that cooperatives make to the socio-economic well-being of people and communities and to a balanced and more stable plural economy. Cooperatives can make unique and relevant contributions because:

• they are committed to their communities for the long term
• they get people involved in managing the business
• they promote job creation and retention in the communities they serve
• they strive to be profitable, not as an end in itself, but to effectively meet the needs of their current members and future generations
• they use a business model that is solid and viable, at the local, national and international levels
• they are very resilient, as the last financial and economic crisis has shown.

Based on the Summit’s findings and discussions, the participants declare that:

Cooperatives and mutuals are businesses that play a significant role in the global economy while ensuring a sustainable development.

Read the full Declaration here.