The United Nations (UN) International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay) is annually observed across the globe on the 1st Saturday of July to increase awareness of cooperatives and promote ideas of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace, contributing to the development of the society.
- International Day of Cooperatives 2024 falls on 6 July 2024. The theme of International Day of Cooperatives 2024 is “Cooperatives Building a Better Future for All”.
- 6 July 2024 marks the 102nd International Cooperative Day and the 30th UN International Day of Cooperatives.
- The Day also commemorates the establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), one of the oldest Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), and one of the largest organizations by the number of people represented.
Note : ICA was founded in London, England (United Kingdom (UK)) on 19 August 1895 during the 1st Cooperative Congress.
Significance:
i.The 2024 theme aligns with the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, “Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.”
- The Summit will be held in September 2024 in New York, the United States of America (USA).
- Since 1995, the ICA and the UN, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), have jointly set the theme for the celebration of CoopsDay.
ii.This Day allows cooperatives to highlight their contributions to sustainable development and their efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
iii.The 2024 celebration builds momentum towards the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025), declared by the UN in June 2024.
Background:
i.The International Cooperative Day has been celebrated on the first Saturday of July since 1923.
- The 1st ever Cooperators Day was observed on 7 July 1923.
ii.In December 1992, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/47/90, proclaiming the 1st Saturday of July 1995 to be the International Day of Cooperatives, marking the centenary of establishing the ICA.
iii.Since 1995, the UN-recognised International Day of Cooperatives has been jointly observed alongside the International Cooperative Day.
Cooperatives and Cooperative Movement:
i.Cooperatives are associations and enterprises that empower citizens to improve their lives and contribute to the community’s economic, social, cultural, and political progress.
ii.The cooperative movement is highly democratic, and locally autonomous, but internationally integrated to overcoming poverty, securing employment, and fostering social integration.
- It has been recognized as a key stakeholder in both national and international affairs.
Note: Cooperatives include at least 12% of people worldwide, with over 3 million cooperatives globally.
History of Cooperatives:
i.The earliest record of a cooperative comes from Fenwick, Scotland on 14 March 1761.
- Local weavers established the Fenwick Weavers’ Society by selling discounted oatmeal in John Walker’s cottage.
ii.In 1844 a group of 28 artisans from the cotton mills in the town of Rochdale, in Lancashire, England (UK) established the 1st modern cooperative business, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, also known as the Rochdale Pioneers.
Key Points:
i.According to the 2023 UN Secretary-General Report on Cooperatives in Social Development, globally, there are about 3 million cooperatives.
ii.10% of workers worldwide are either employed by a cooperative or worker-owners within a cooperative.
iii.The 300 largest cooperatives in the world generate over USD 2.1 trillion in revenue, while providing many essential goods and services.
2024 Event in India:
On 6 July 2024, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Cooperation, addressed the “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” conference on the occasion of the 102nd International Day of Cooperatives in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
- 6 July 2024 also marks the 3rd Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation.
Launch of Key Initiatives:
i.During the conference, the Union Minister launched the scheme for 50% assistance for nano-fertilizer purchase under the AGR-2 (Farm Mechanization)Scheme of the Government for the FY 2024-25.
ii.He also inaugurated the launch of ‘Bharat Organic Atta’ produced by the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL).
iii.The minister also distributed the Rupay Kisan Credit Card (KCC) at zero interest rate to women cooperative members in Banaskantha.
About the Ministry of Cooperation:
Union Minister– Amit Shah (Constituency: Gandhinagar, Gujarat)
Ministers of State (MoS)- Krishan Pal (Constituency: Faridabad, Haryana); Murlidhar Mohol (Constituency: Pune, Maharashtra)
