ICA Activities: Representation

Voice of the Movement

ICA has special status with the a number of multilateral institutions including the United Nations and agencies, the Council of Europe, and the regional development banks. It also participates in a number of networks of UN and non-governmental organisations including the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) to name only two. ICA brings the voice of the co-operative movement to international fora and participates in shaping international policies that will impact co-operatives.

ICA through its participation in the COPAC is able to have direct contacts with multilateral institutions and development agencies involved in co-operative development. Working through COPAC, ICA was also able obtain the proclamation by the United Nations of an International Day of Co-operatives coinciding with ICA's own Co-operative Day, the adoption of the policy guidelines for co-operative development (see below), as well as regular input by ICA members to the preparation of the United Nations Secretary-General's Reports on co-operatives.

ICA and the United Nations

ICA President Ivano Barberini and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan during their meeting in New York in April 2002.	ICA Director-General, Iain Macdonald; ICA President, Ivano Baberini and ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia during their meeting in Geneva in February 2005.

Using its status, ICA participates in a wide variety of United Nations agencies and commissions and major UN conferences (including the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women, the World Food Summit, and the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements - Habitat II and their review meetings). In addition, ICA has standing agreements - Memoranda of Understanding with the following organisations:

• Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
• International Labour Organisation (ILO)
• United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN Habitat)

More information on how ICA interacts with the United Nations > > >

Policy Guidance

ICA also defends the Co-operative Identity vis-à-vis national governments. It helps its members in their lobbying for new legislation and more appropriate administrative procedures that respect the co-operative model, its principles and values. It provides political support as well as technical expertise to enable co-operatives to compete on a level playing field.

ICA's representation and advocacy activities have been key to the recognition of the significant contribution of co-operatives to economic, social and cultural development at both the national and international level. It has led to international policy documents addressed to governments on how to best promote co-operative development through appropriate legal and administrative structures including:

• United Nations Guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of co-operatives (2001)
  

  The Guidelines are in the annex to the UN Secretary-General's report on co-operatives and social development (A/56/73-E/2001/68). The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which gave official recognition to the Guidelines and requested UN member states to consider the Guidelines when revising co-operative policy and legislation concerning co-operatives. (United Nations resolution A/RES/56/114).
  More information > > >
  
  

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) Recommendation on Co-operatives - Recommendation 193 (2002)
  

  ICA statements and position papers during the negotiation of the text including consultation process with members
  
  

• Statute for a European Co-operative Society (2003)

Despite that the co-operative form is recognised in all Member States, cross-border co-operation between co-operatives has been hampered within the European Union by legal and administrative difficulties. IN recognition of the importance and potential of co-operatives in Europe, a Statute for a European Co-operative Society was adopted in 2003.  The Statutes now provides co-operatives with adequate legal instruments to facilitate their cross-border and trans-national activities. It parallels the Statute for a European Company (SE), adopted in 2001, but has been tailored to the specific characteristics of co-operative societies. See more information on the Statute See also the full text of the Statute as adopted

• World Bank Policy Guidance in Agricultural Development (2008)

The World Bank for the first time in a number of years is advocating the co-operative form of enterprise as an option for effective agricultural development. Its 2008 report on agriculture notes the contribution that co-operatives are already making in providing options for producers to organise, have voice and improve their livelihoods. The report also notes that policy changes are required to enable co-operatives to grow and be more effective. These include the need for legal reform and the need for Governments' interference in co-operative management to be removed. with a number of co-operative successes cited, it mentions for example that "financial cooperatives and their networks are re-emerging as promising institutions in rural finance in many countries" and suggests that bio-fuel, organic production and marketing co-operatives, and partnerships with co-operatives are avenues for development.  The full report is available in English only. See World Bank Development Report 2008

Most recently ICA has been lobbying the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to ensure that changes in International Accounting Standards do not negatively impact the viability of co-operatives. More information > > >