Video: Launch of the International Year of Co-operatives

The United Nations has officially launched the International Year of Co-operatives from its New York City headquarters.

On Monday 31st October, the UN launched the year with opening remarks from officials a roundtable discussion between co-operatives and member states. In the afternoon, ICA President Dame Pauline Green addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the co-operative movement.

This video provides a full recap of the morning session.

The schedule for the above video is as follows:

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

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

• Click here to view the afternoon session.