The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay) is annually observed across the globe on the first Saturday of July to create awareness about the contributions of cooperatives toward the development of society. Coops Day is an annual celebration of the Cooperative movement.
The day also commemorates the establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance(ICA), a non-governmental cooperative union representing cooperatives.
- ICA was founded in London, England, on 19th August 1985 during the first Cooperative Congress.
The Coops Day 2022 was observed on 2nd July 2022.
- Coops Day 2021 was observed on 3rd July 2021.
- Coops Day 2023 will be observed on 1st July 2023.
The theme/slogan of the International Day of Cooperatives 2022 is “Cooperatives Build a Better World”.
- The 2022 theme highlights the theme of the UN’s International Year of Cooperatives (2012): “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”.
Note:
Since 1995, ICA and the UN, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), jointly select the theme of the celebration of Coops Day.
Background:
i.Since 1923, International Cooperative Day has been annually celebrated by the Global Cooperative Movement on the 1st Saturday in July. The first-ever Co-operators Day was observed on 7th July 1923.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/47/90 in December 1992 and proclaimed the first Saturday of July 1995 as the International Day of Cooperatives, marking the centenary of the establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance.
Significance:
The 2022 Coops Day marks the celebration of the 100th International Cooperative Day, the 28th International Day of Cooperatives recognized by the UN.
About Co-operative Movement:
i.Co-operatives are the associations and enterprises through which people can improve their lives while contributing to the economic, social, cultural and political advancement of their community and nation.
ii.The cooperative movement has been recognized as a distinct and major stakeholder in both national and international affairs.
History of Co-operative:
i.The earliest record of a co-operative comes from Scotland on 14th March 1761.
ii.In 1844 a group of 28 artisans working in the cotton mills in the north of England established the first modern co-operative business.
Key Points:
i.According to the World Cooperative Monitor 2020, cooperatives across the globe employ around 280 million people (~10% of the world’s employed population) across the globe and more than 12% of humanity is a part of the 3 million cooperatives in the world.
ii.The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals across the world have reported a total turnover of around USD 2034.98 billion.
Events in India:
On 4th July 2022, the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India and National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) jointly organised an event at Vigyan Bhawan, in New Delhi, Delhi, to celebrate the 100th International Day of Cooperatives.
- Amit Shah, Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Ministry of Cooperation graced the event as the chief guest.
- The meeting was presided over by Dileep Sanghani, President of NCUI.
Note: NCUI is an apex organization of the cooperative movement in India which focuses on cooperative education and training.
The theme of the event: “Cooperatives Build an Atmanirbhar Bharat and Better World.”
Cooperatives in India:
India has a network of more than 8.5 lakh cooperatives covering 90% of the villages. They play a major role in bringing socio-economic development for inclusive growth in both rural and urban areas.
AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited), IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited), KRIBHCO (Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited), and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) are some of the successful and major cooperatives in India.
About International Cooperative Alliance(ICA):
ICA is one of the oldest non-governmental organisations in the world. It is also one the largest organisations, in terms of people represented – 1 billion members.
President– Ariel Enrique Guarco
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
