Cooperatives

As business organization, cooperatives contribute to economic development, generating more than 100 million jobs and securing the livelihoods of nearly a quarter the world’s population. Cooperatives provide an important channel for bridging market values and human values.

Within the UN system, the ILO is responsible for the largest and most diversified programme for the promotion of cooperatives. Viable and self-reliant cooperatives formed by producers, consumers, workers and business people worldwide have demonstrated their enormous potential for creating and consolidating employment opportunities, empowering people, providing protection and alleviating poverty. The ILO technical assistance programme for cooperative development focuses on policy and legal advice, capacity-building through human resource development, poverty alleviation through self-help, alternative delivery mechanisms for social services, and a special regional programme for indigenous and tribal peoples.

2012: International Year of Cooperatives - “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”
Under the theme, “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”, the Year is intended to raise public awareness of the invaluable contributions of cooperative enterprises to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. ILO will play a special role in the coordination and planning of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2012, highlighting the strengths of the cooperative business model as an alternative means of doing business and furthering socioeconomic development. A wide range of activities and events are planned in addition to making available policy briefs, training materials, guidelines and information materials for the ILO's constituents and other cooperative stakeholders.