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Manila Resolution on “COOPERATIVES: OUR COMMON AGENDA”

THE MANILA RESOLUTION

on

“COOPERATIVES: OUR COMMON AGENDA”

 

Draft version as on 9th November 2023

 

The 11th Asia Pacific Cooperative Forum, representative of the ICA in the Asia and Pacific and the cooperative movements therein; having met during the 16th Regional Assembly of the ICA Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) from 6 – 10 November, 2023 at Manila, the Philippines, while

 

  1. reaffirming the Statement on Cooperative IDENTITY and its promotion in theory and practice at all levels of cooperative education and training systems,
     

  2. recognizing the need for cooperatives to drive the CLIMATE agenda forward by advancing sustainability through cross sector collaboration, and reimagining how we produce, consume, and dispose of resources,
     

  3. recognizing DIVERSITY and INCLUSION by appreciating the inherent ability of cooperative enterprises in mainstreaming women, youth and marginalised sections of the society, thus creating equal opportunity for all,
     

  4. recognizing the urgency of TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION to increase participation, service and competitiveness of cooperative enterprises in realizing their inherent sustainable future; recognizing the shift towards digitalization and the requirements  for digital channels for cooperative services, improved digital tools and technology  for enhanced productivity, risk management with cybersecurity system to protect members’ identity and data, and the importance of shared services, and
     

  5. recognizing the relevance of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS and the importance of positioning cooperatives in the Global Development Agenda, and the creation of enabling legal, policy and regulatory climate to realise the complete potential of people-based economic enterprises in Asia Pacific region,

 

hereby resolve with the spirit of cooperation to,

 

  1. initiate activities at national and local level to preserve and promote the cooperative identity towards reaching our COMMON AGENDA;
     

  2. urge national cooperative movements to call on their Governments to revise cooperative laws and policies in conformity with the universally-accepted statement of the cooperative IDENTITY,
     

  3. call upon national Governments, inter-governmental agencies and other stakeholders to recognize cooperatives as representative of a significant section of the population, and to work in co-operation with the national, regional and global cooperative movements in tackling CLIMATE CHANGE and pursuing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,
     

  4. initiate activities at national and local level to pursue and achieve INCLUSIVE and democratic sustainable development by increasing member participation, and with greater focus on women, youth and indigenous and marginalized people, while addressing their socio-economic, cultural and environmental needs and aspirations
     

  5. harness the power of cooperation among cooperatives and expertise in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world, to ensure access to TECHNOLOGY for all sizes of cooperatives, showcase the use of technology to expand reach and diverse community, and the practice of cooperative values and principles in the digital economy, and
     

  6. assess and measure the contribution of cooperatives while augmenting cooperative research, and use technological tools to gain knowledge, efficient data, and management capacity, in order to enable dissemination of information on cooperatives as well as sustain sovereign support from national Governments and other stakeholders.

 

ADOPTED
at the 11th Asia Pacific Co-operative Forum
in Manila, on 9th November 2023