Knowledge

COPAC positions itself as a resource for cooperative knowledge, facilitated by a long institutional history (since 1971) and a broad and influential network contributed by its members. Knowledge figures into COPAC’s priorities because of the need to educate policymakers and the general public about cooperative enterprises and their economic, social and environmental contributions.

COPAC undertakes several activities in support of its knowledge gathering and sharing work:

  • Ongoing work on statistics on cooperatives. In order for cooperative enterprises to be more visible and influential on a global level, reliable and consistent statistical information must be made available about their activities. The members of COPAC collaborate to harmonise efforts to collect statistics on cooperatives, build the capacities of institutions collecting statistical information and improve the quality of statistics on cooperatives.
  • Maintenance of its digital library. COPAC’s extensive archives are available online for anyone interested in cooperatives.
  • Organisation of regular member meetings and events for the wider public.