Global Cooperative Summit in Quebec

Nearly 3,000 cooperators from more than 100 countries met in Quebec on October 11-13 at a third global cooperative Summit. The gathering was hosted by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and the Desjardins Group, a Canadian financial cooperative.

An event of this magnitude is not easily summarized, but one accessible report has been posted by Howard Brodsky of Cooperatives for a Better World:  http://cooperativesforabetterworld.coop/news

The Brodsky report also links to other key United Nations agreements and other international statements on challenges to cooperatives:

During the Summit, many conversations discussed the role of cooperatives in solving issues around the world – for example, financial inclusion, human services, challenges with sustainable development, and climate change. Standing out among other leading businesses, cooperatives were the first group of enterprises globally to endorse the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth last fall. From the Summit, the 2016 preliminary Declaration of The Power to Act of Cooperatives commits the global cooperative movement to make tangible contributions to the SDGs via the Co-ops for 2030 campaign.

Five UN ambassadors were present at the Summit, and they each called on the co-operative movement for help in reaching the SDGs. Marc-André Blanchard, the UN’s Canadian ambassador, said, “The world needs you. We need you to make this a success. I could not think of a better organizational structure than the cooperative movement to make this happen under this agenda.” Cooperatives are pledging their contributions and reporting their progress already! To pledge your co-op’s contribution, visit the Co-ops for 2030 website today.