78th ICA International Co-operative Day
6th UN International Day of Cooperatives
"Cooperatives and Employment Promotion"
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(Source: UN Daily Highlights, 30 June 2000)
30 June -- The cooperative movement can help ensure that the benefits of globalization are shared by all, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on the eve of the International Day of Cooperatives, marked each year on the first Saturday in July.
"Founded on the principles of private initiative, entrepreneurship and self-employment, underpinned by the values of democracy, equality and solidarity, the movement can help pave the way to a more just and inclusive economic order," the Secretary-General said in his message on the Day.
He noted that in many countries, cooperatives have developed into powerful and prosperous economical entities with extensive organizational structures. The most successful have grown into large-scale, professionally run and solidly financed enterprises that operate in full competition with commercial firms while emphasizing expertise that enables people to help themselves.
Stressing that cooperatives serve as an example to those who would like to see the private sector get more involved in development activities, he called for making greater use of the tools that the cooperative movement offers towards the shared goal of "a more just, more inclusive and more prosperous world."
The International Day of Cooperatives was initially celebrated on the first Saturday in July 1995, marking the centenary of the International Cooperative Alliance, an umbrella organization comprising groups in 100 countries.
The official version from the UN web site can be found at: http://www.un.org/News/dh/. Search for the date of 30 June 2000.
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Posted: 21 July 2000
