Messages from Members

• Message from the United Nations Secretary-General
  

  English (pdf) - Français (pdf)

• Message from the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
  

  English (pdf) - Français (pdf) - Español (pdf) - Japanese (pdf) - Italian (pdf) - Portuguese (Brazil) (pdf) - Portuguese (Portugal) (pdf) - Romanian (pdf)

• Message from the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)

  English (pdf) - -- Français (pdf) - Français (html) -- - Español (pdf) -- Español (html)

• Message from the International Labour Organisation (ILO)

  English (pdf)

• Message from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

  English (pdf) -- Français (pdf) -- Español (pdf)

Images for the Day

Image for use with the ICA message (available in E-F-S)


Poster produced by the Japanese Cooperative Movement
to celebrate International Day of Cooperatives

Background

CSR commitments and activities typically address aspects of an enterprise's behaviour (including its policies and practices) with respect to such key elements as; health and safety, environmental protection, human rights, human resource management practices, corporate governance, community development, and consumer protection, labour protection, supplier relations, business ethics, and stakeholder rights.

Enterprises are motivated to involve stakeholders in their decision-making and to address societal challenges because today's stakeholders are increasingly aware of the importance and impact of decisions by corporations and other enterprises on society and the environment. The stakeholders can reward or punish enteprises. Enterprises can be motivated to change their commercial behaviour in response to the business case which a CSR approach potentially promises. This includes:

• stronger financial performance and profitability (e.g. through eco-efficiency),
• improved accountability to and assessments from the investment community,
• enhanced employee commitment,
• decreased vulnerability through stronger relationships with communities, and
• improved reputation and branding.

General Information on CSR

• United Nations Global Compact - The world's largest corporate responsibility initiative covering human rights, anti-corruption, labour and the environment. A number of cooperatives are involved in the Global Compact but also involved in national Global Compact initiatives.
• World Business Forum for Sustainable Development
• Global Reporting Initiative: The GRI is used by many cooperatives and businesses as a tool in developing sustainability reports.
• AccountAbility: The AA1000 Series is a set of standards, guidelines and user notes intended to provide the basis for improving the sustainability performance of organisations. It is also used by numerous cooperatives
• CSR Europe: Member institution for promoting CSR in Europe amongst businesses
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Decent Work: ILO initiative to support the positive contribution that business, through CSR, can make to promoting decent work around the world.

Information resources Cooperatives and CSR

• European Association of Co-operative Banks: Report on CSR and the performance of cooperative banks
• Cooperatives Europe and CSR
• Co-operatives UK - Key Social and Cooperative Performance Indicators

Cooperative Sustainability Reports or Websites

• Canada: Desjardins Group
• Canada: Vancity
• Spain (Catalunya) - www.rsecoop.coop
• Netherland: Rabobank Group
• Switzerland: Migros Group (Français)

Other information of Interest

• ICA Americas: Introducción a la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa para Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas
• La Equidad Seguros (Colombia)gana premio internacional en responsabilidad social corporativa (Nov 2006)