UN Launches the International Year--Oct. 31

On Oct. 31, the United Nations officially launched the International Year of Cooperatives.  The events at the United Nations began with a roundtable discussion involving some of the world's cooperative leaders: Maria Aranzazu Laskurain, Secretary General of Mondragon; Li Chengyu, President of the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives; and Piet Moerland, Chairman of Rabobank.

 

After the roundtable, Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance, delivered an address to the United Nations General Assembly. In her address, she emphasized the important role that cooperatives play in global sustainable development and financial stability.

 

On November 1, leaders of some of the world's largest cooperatives meet at the ICA Leadership Forum in New York to identify the conditions needed to incite dramatic growth and make cooperative enterprise the fastest-growing business model by the end of the decade. Hosted by Dame Pauline, delegates heard from Peter Marks, CEO of the Cooperative Group, UK and Monique Leroux, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, Canada. 

 

You can watch clips from several of the sessions online:

• Morning kickoff event with introduction and panels
• Short video shown during morning event
• Afternoon plenary session of the General Assembly
• Side event on food security
• Side event on the financial crisis and cooperative banks