2012: A Pivotal Year for Recognizing the Role of Cooperatives

On October 31, 2011, governments, leaders of international organizations and representatives of associations and cooperatives kicked off the International Year of Cooperatives at UN headquarters in New York, underscoring their unique contribution to social and economic development around the world With the theme ” Cooperative enterprises build a better world, ” the International Year of Cooperatives seeks to recognize an economic model that differs from others in that it is underpinned by the need to strike a balance between the desire for profit and the needs and interests of members and communities. ” Historically, cooperatives were founded in times of economic hardship” explained Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, during his opening statement at an informal roundtable on cooperatives. ” This fact is a testament to their capacity to alleviate the effects of such crises,” he added. ” In the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives proved to be more resilient than their commercial counterparts.” ” In his remarks at a press conference on the financial crisis and cooperative banks, Mr. Zukang said, ” I truly hope that the International Year of Cooperatives will bring new momentum to the cooperative movement. It is [a] great opportunity to leverage their contributions to sustainable social economic development. People Before Profits Another participant in the press conference, Piet Moerland, Chairman of Rabobank Group (Netherlands), said that at least 4 billion people today lack access to the basic financial services needed to build a livelihood in a way that is an inherent human right. For her part, Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group (Canada), said that ” the financial crisis, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy Wall Street protest remind us of the importance of human capital over financial capital. ” ” The financial cooperative model is a tangible answer to help people to understand issues and to get involved locally to work together on solutions, ” she added. ” The cooperative brings long-term prosperity to people, small businesses and society. The financial cooperatives are there to support people and contribute to the real economy. ” In this respect, Ms. Leroux pointed out that the hosts of the International Summit of Cooperatives, taking place in Quebec City, Canada, in October 2012, intend to make this event the Davos of the cooperative world. Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), emphasized that cooperatives place people before profits. ” Cooperatives are not… business as usual. ” She continued by firmly stating that cooperatives are ” member-owned businesses embedding democratic values ” that nurture and develop local leadership and build local skills and expertise. Videos to watch Video of the Financial Crisis and Cooperative Banks press conference – October 31, 2011: watch Video of Dame Pauline Green’s statement during the 45th plenary meeting of the United Nations’ General Assembly – October 31, 2011: watch Official UN video of the launch of the International Year of Cooperatives: watch Photo: Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), Zha Zukang, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Piet Moerland, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rabobank.Nederland (Photo: UN)