A big thank you to the over 600 cooperators from India and the Asia Pacific region who attended the 12th Regional Assembly, 9th Cooperative Forum and related events from November 15 to 19, 2016 in New Delhi! The Assembly adopted several resolutions including strategic direction for the region, declaration from the Cooperative Forum, support to Japanese cooperative movement, and co-option of Chair of Women Committee.
The opening ceremony was attended by over 600 delegates from India and the region. Mr. Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Mr. Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Railways, Government of India graced the occasion. Mr. Parshottam Rupala, Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addressed the closing ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePt37rXRXR4&feature=youtu.be
The presentations at the Cooperative Forum showed the significant impact co-operatives in the Asia-Pacific region are having and showcased their Power to Act for a Sustainable Future. This was reflected in, building a co-operative country (Youth Social Coop, Bhutan), greening the country (SANASA, Sri Lanka), and creating the largest cooperative in the world by adhering to cooperative values and principles (IFFCO, India). The role of co-operatives was visible in responding to natural disasters (Nepal co-operative movement’s response to earthquake), addressing emerging needs such as aging (SNCF, Singapore), adopting technological innovations (NACF, Korea) and building workers movement (ULCCS, India). The importance of working in partnership with governments to create a broad-based movement was evident in the efforts to transform co-operatives by aligning with national priorities (ANGKASA, Malaysia), policies to enable inclusive growth in co-operatives (CDA, Philippines) and supportive incentives to promote growth of co-operatives (ICC, Iran). The various committee events also showcased the role of cooperatives in achieving sustainable development. The Resolution adopted by the Assembly can be found at: http://ica-ap.coop/icanews/resolution-9th-ica-ap-co-operative-forum
We would like to convey our thanks to the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and the Indian co-operative movement for hosting the Regional Assembly and related events. The next Regional Assembly will likely be held in Iran in 2018. We will confer with our members in Iran and keep you informed of the venue and dates.
