Live: United Nations launches International Year of Co-operatives

Watch the launch of the International Year of Co-operatives, live from the United Nations today from its New York City headquarters at 10am (ET)/2pm (GMT).

Today the United Nations is launching the International Year of Co-operatives from its New York City headquarters.

A live-stream along with articles throughout the day will be available here in English from 10am (ET)/2pm (GMT). 

The schedule for today's events are as follows (all times are Eastern Time USA)

10:00-10.30am IYC Launch: Informal Round-table Discussions Conference Room 4, NLB

Opening remarks

• Film screening (5 minutes)

• Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

• Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labour Organization, Video message

• Ms. Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, DESA

10.30-1:00pm Informal round-table discussion: “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World: Contributions to Sustainable Development”

The round-table will discuss the impact of cooperatives in development with specific focus on food security, financial and economic stability, and environmental sustainability, while highlighting the uniqueness and resilience of the cooperative enterprise model as driving their strong role in these areas. It will also touch on their role in peacebuilding and creating bridges of communication in areas of conflict. It will discuss the roles of stakeholders in developing the internal capacity and policy space for strengthening cooperative enterprises.

Moderator: Vice President of the General Assembly

Panelists:

1. Mr. Jack Wilkinson, President of ex-IFAP now World Famers' Organization,
Canada

2. Mr. Li Chengyu, President of the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Co-operatives (ACFSMC), China

3. Mr. Piet Moerland, Chairman of the Executive Board at Rabobank, Netherlands

4. Mr. Carlos Heller, Chairman of Banco Credicoop, Argentina

5. Mr. Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Economic Development, Government of South Africa, South Africa

6. Ms. Maria Arantzazu Laskurain, Director of the General Secretariat, Mondragón, Spain

1:00-2:45pm Lunch time side events

3:00-6:00pm IYC Launch: Opening ceremony and plenary meeting, General Assembly Hall

• H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the General Assembly

• H.E. Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro on behalf of the Secretary-General

• Dame Pauline Green, Cooperative Representative to present Outcome
Statement from the morning’s Informal Panel

• Mr. Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister

• Member States and observers

In this article


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