Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives COPAC

Summary of Proceedings

The Open Forum demonstrated that cooperatives do make a difference to promoting decent work. It was shown that cooperative organization and the decent work paradigm are based on common values. These values are translated into creating and maintaining quality jobs in cooperatives worldwide.

Mr. Göran Hultin, Executive Director, Employment Sector of the ILO, opened the session by reminding participants of the close links between the ILO and the cooperative movement. The first Director-General of ILO was a cooperator who established the Cooperative Branch at ILO in 1920. Mr. Hultin underlined that cooperatives have a distinct employment creation potential because of their structure and principles. He also presented some of the most notable cooperative success stories in the area of job creation. He noted some areas which require attention if cooperatives were to be successful in all parts of the world. These included internal capacity-building as well as a favourable climate for cooperative development. These were areas in which ILO was providing assistance. Mr. Hultin underlined the most recent initiative to revise ILO's own Recommendation 127 on cooperatives to reflect the new economic and political environment which could lead to a new standard. Discussion on the revision would be held at the International Labour Conference in 2001 and 2002. He concluded saying cooperatives were a proven concept to address new challenges.

The ICA President, Mr. Roberto Rodrigues, in his opening remarks spoke about the global context in which cooperatives were operating - a world in which principle and values were being lost, where democracy was being challenged and ultimately human security and peace were at risk. Furthermore, cooperatives provide a future path as they are able to mobilize social capital. They bridge the economic and the social by providing employment, an equitable distribution of profits and above all, social justice. They also address issues of concern such as the environment and food security. However, he emphasized that governments need to be committed in order to fully develop the potential and contribution of cooperatives in maintaining this role.