10th Asia and Pacific Ministers' Conference
The 10th Asia Pacific Ministers' Conference will be held from April 18 to 21, 2017 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conferenceis a joint initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Government of Vietnam, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) and ICA-AP. The theme for the conference is: “Visioning Ahead to 2030: Promoting Stronger Partnerships between Government and Co-operative Stakeholders in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” The uniting voice from the Regional Consultations was that the success of co-operatives relies altogether on healthy member-based cooperatives, as well as good governance, but expansion and further advancement must be grounded in communities and further supported by strong and strategic partnerships with respective governments and international and national organizations in the Asia Pacific Region. Partnership is considered crucial in this day and age. To bring about sustained economic democracy, co-operatives must work in partnership with key stakeholders. This is especially true at a time when inequality is deepening in the region despite the gains created by the capitalist system. Co-operatives offer an alternative model to the capitalist system as sustainable enterprises, which values are to be shared and recognized by their multiple stakeholders. The 10th Co-operative Ministers’ conference will highlight the ways in which cooperatives are contributing to achieving the SDGS; explore ways to strengthen partnerships between Governments and Co-operative Stakeholders; and draw a road map to realizing the potential of co-operatives in sustainable development. The conference will be attended by Ministers in charge of cooperatives, representatives of governments, ICA-AP member organizations, and international development agencies.
