The International Co-operative Day is the annual celebration of the co-operative movement observed by the International Co-operative Alliance on the first Saturday of July since 1923. The aim of this day is to raise awareness of cooperatives and to strengthen and expand partnerships with the international cooperative movement, including governments, and other supporting organizations.
It was first observed in 2005 under the auspices of the United Nations, but its history goes back to 1923 as a day observed by the international cooperative movement and the International Co-operative Alliance. This International Day seeks to raise awareness of cooperatives and to uphold the achievements and values of international cooperation, economic growth, equality, and world peace of the movement.
Theme of International Day of Cooperative 2020
This year the theme of International Day of Cooperative 2020 is – “Cooperatives for climate action” and this year’s theme is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13.
Every year the Committee on the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) decides the theme of the International Cooperative Day. Climate change has significant effects on the livelihoods of people around the world, in particular of the least developed communities, such as peasants, women , young people, indigenous people and ethnic minorities, who have to cope with the extreme natural disasters and natural resources depletion.
No nation is exempt. Emissions of greenhouse gases are more than 50% higher than in 1990 and global warming is bringing about long-term climate change, which, if we do not act, will threaten the irreversible impact.
This essential ability should be used by the cooperative movement to act as a regional agent of progress and work with its international community collaborators. This joint action will impact on the climate agenda dramatically and contribute to a sustainable, safe and equitable transformation for all people , leaving none behind.
Facts and Figure about International Day of Cooperatives
- About 280 million people are the cooperatives employ which is 10% of the world’s employed population.
- About 12 percent of humanity belongs to 3 million cooperatives around the world.
- Total revenues of $2,034,98 billion are registered by the largest 300 cooperatives and mutual companies
Background
On 16 December 1992, in UN resolution 47/90 the United Nations general assembly announces that “First Saturday of July 1995 marks the centenary of the creation of a Cooperative. Since 1995, along with the International Co-operative Day, the International Day of Co-operatives (ICD) has been observed
Swikriti Dandotia
