From July 2nd to August 10th, the exhibition “Cooperative movement for a sustainable development for all” timed to the International Cooperatives Day runs in the Documents of international organizations reading room No. 207g.
This Day was established by the UN General Assembly on 16 December, 1992 (resolution 47/90) and since 1995 it has been observed annually on each first Saturday of July.
The International Cooperatives Day was proclaimed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the International Cooperative Alliance – the union of organizations which embraces today 760 million cooperative members in 100 countries.
The annual observation of the Day allows the international community to increase the knowledge of cooperative societies all over the world and to pursue a policy of cooperatives support and strengthening so that they could promote in full measure a sustainable development, social integration and worthy employment. The events held on the occasion of this Day expand the partnership between international cooperative movement and other participants including governments at local, national and international levels.
The care of well-being of society is one of the basic tasks of cooperative movement. The importance of cooperative societies as associations and enterprises is conventional. With their help citizens can effectively increase the standard of life simultaneously promoting economic, social, cultural and political development of the community and the state. Cooperative movement is a particular and important factor in both national and international affairs. A high level of democracy, the autonomy at a local level and the integration at an international level are inherent in this movement. Cooperative societies represent such a form of associations and enterprises by means of which citizens can provide self-help and independently bear the responsibility for the achievement of definite purposes, not only economic, but also social and ecological, the eradication of poverty, the maintenance of a productive employment and the assistance to social integration.
The first cooperatives appeared more than 200 years ago when rural businessmen and farmers had decided to unite their resources and assist each other to expand their commercial opportunities. Later there were retail trade cooperative societies owing to which needy families could avoid the debtor's prison and get access to better goods and services. Since then cooperative societies had arose in many spheres of activity, from industrial goods manufacturing to financial services.
Today cooperative societies vary from small and modest private enterprises up to large companies with mullions-strong turnover providing with employment more than 100 million people. Cooperatives bring an essential contribution to the struggle against poverty through the development of employment and social protection of their members.
The offered exhibition presents about 100 documents in Russian and English languages: books, periodicals, brochures and booklets.
The exposition includes the subject sections as follow:
- Cooperative movement: history, tradition, present day.
- International cooperative movement. The activities of International Cooperative Alliance.
- Industry cooperation.
- Consumer’s cooperation.
- Agricultural cooperation.
- Credit cooperation.
- Cooperative movement in Belarus: the current state and the prospects.
The exhibition will be interesting to employees in the sphere of cooperation, businessmen, farmers, experts in the field of agriculture, economy, trade, scientists, students, post-graduates, and everyone who is interested in the development of cooperative movement.
Useful links
- The International Cooperatives Day
- The International Cooperatives Year
- The International Cooperative Alliance
- The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC)
- Resolution of the UN General Assembly 47/90 (16 December, 1992)
- The ILO Recommendation for promotion of cooperatives (3 June, 2002)
- The draft principles of cooperative management (2001)
