Co-ops enhance human dignity and help to empower people, says Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, backed co-operatives as an enterprise to empower people at the UN's Closing Ceremony of the International Year of Co-operatives.

Ban Ki-moon, who is currently in the Middle East, issued a statement to delegates at the UN's New York City Headquarters: “As the year draws to a close we celebrate the achievements of the co-op movement and its contributions."

The statement was read by Ms Shamshad Akhtar, Assistant-Secretary-General, where Ban Ki-moon underlined the importance of co-ops to facilitate engagement of young people in their communities; and the statement noted "the strong participation of young people” in the Closing Ceremony and Youth Forum.

“We know there continues to be a hunger for policies and approaches that address social and economic goals that go beyond a one-dimensional bottom line,” said the UN Secretary-General. “By emphasizing core values, cooperatives help advance a vision that embraces social objectives into the business model,” he added.

The UN Secretary-General also said the co-op movement works every day to empower people, enhance human dignity and help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The statement ended with the UN Secretary General’s remark that co-operatives help to build a better world. Ban Ki-moon said he looks forward to seeing how the co-op movement will take the International Year forward.

Ms Shamshad also shared her thoughts on the Year, saying it has marked a significant milestone. She said co-ops would continue to experience growth.

She spoke of the one billion members of co-ops and the top 300 co-ops registered that have combined revenues that equal the world’s ninth economic power. She said co-operatives promote dignity, equality and inclusiveness and for this reason they are an important partner in development for the UN. She added co-ops achieve inclusiveness and build a better life for excluded groups of the society.

Ms Shamshad said: “Co-ops deliver inclusive development, social protection and sustainable livelihood. I would like to congratulate the one billion members of the co-operative movement.“

She also thanked the International Co-operative Alliance and Rabobank for their extensive work in promoting co-operatives.