Draft as 7 October 2009
Argentina, Bangladesh,
Guatemala, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Panama, Sudan: draft resolution
Cooperatives in social development
The
General Assembly,
PP1 Recalling
its resolutions 47/90 of 16 December 1992, 49/155 of 23 December 1994, 51/58 of
12 December 1996, 54/123 of 17 December 1999, 56/114 of 19 December 2001,
58/131 of 22 December 2003, 60/132 of 16 December 2005 and 62/128 of 18 December 2007 concerning cooperatives in social
development, /A/62/128, PP1 updated/
PP2 Recognizing
that cooperatives, in their various forms, promote the fullest possible
participation in the economic and social development of all people, including
women, youth, older people and people with disabilities, and indigenous peoples
are becoming a major factor of economic and social development and contribute
to the eradication of poverty, /A/62/128, PP2/
PP3 Recognizing
also the important contribution and potential of all forms of cooperatives
to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World
Conference on Women, the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II), including their five-year reviews, the World Food Summit, the
Second World Assembly on Ageing, the International Conference on Financing for
Development, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the 2005 World
Summit, /A/62/128, PP3/
PP4 Noting with
appreciation the potential role of cooperatives development in the improvement
of social and economic conditions of the indigenous peoples and rural
communities, /A/62/128, PP4/
PP 5 Recalling Economic and Social Council Resolution
1980/67 of 25 July 1980 on international years and anniversaries;
OP
1. Takes
note of the report of the Secretary-General on cooperatives in social
developments;[1] /A/62/128, OP1/
OP2. Proclaims
the year of 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives;
OP
3. Encourages all Member States, as well as
the United Nations system and all other relevant stakeholders, to take
advantage of the Year as a way of promoting cooperatives and raising awareness
on their contribution to social and economic development;
OP 4. Draws the attention of Member States to
the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General for
further action to promote the growth of cooperatives as business and social
enterprises that can contribute to sustainable development, eradication of poverty
and livelihoods in various economic sectors in urban and rural areas and
provide support for the creation of cooperatives in new and emerging areas;
/A/62/128, OP2/
OP 5. Encourages Governments to keep under
review, as appropriate, the legal and administrative provisions governing the
activities of cooperatives in order to enhance the growth and sustainability of
cooperatives in a rapidly changing socio-economic environment by, inter alia,
providing a level playing field for cooperatives vis-à-vis other business and
social enterprises, including
appropriate tax incentives, access to financial services and markets;
/A/62/128, OP3/
OP 6. Urges Governments, relevant
international organizations and the specialized agencies, in collaboration with
national and international cooperative organizations, to give due consideration
to the role and contribution of cooperatives in the implementation of and
follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development, the
Fourth World Conference on Women, the Second United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II), including their five-year reviews, the World Food
Summit, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, the International Conference on
Financing for Development, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the
2005 World Summit by, inter alia: /A/62/128, OP4/
(a) Utilizing
and developing fully the potential and contribution of cooperatives for the
attainment of social development goals, in particular the eradication of
poverty, the generation of full and productive employment and the enhancement
of social integration; /A/62/128, OP4 (a)/
(b) Encouraging
and facilitating the establishment and development of cooperatives including
taking measures aimed at enabling people living in poverty or belonging to
vulnerable groups, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, older
persons and indigenous peoples to fully participate, on voluntary basis, in
cooperatives and to address their social service needs; /A/62/128, OP4 (b)/
(c) Taking
appropriate measures aimed at creating a supportive and enabling environment
for the development of cooperatives by, inter alia, developing an effective
partnership between Governments and the cooperatives movement through joint
consultative councils and/or advisory bodies and by promoting and implementing
better legislation, research, sharing of good practices, training and technical
assistance and capacity building of cooperatives, especially in the fields of
management, auditing and marketing skills; /A/62/128, OP4 (c)/
(d) Raising
public awareness of the contribution of cooperatives to employment generation
and to socio-economic development, and promoting comprehensive research and
statistical data-gathering on the activities, employment and overall
socio-economic impact of cooperatives at the national and international levels,
/A/62/128, OP4 (d)/ and harmonizing statistical methodologies to
enable sound policy formulation; /SG report on cooperatives in social
development, A/64/132, para.69 (f)/
OP7. Invites Governments, in collaboration
with the cooperative movement, to develop programmes aimed at enhancing
capacity-building of cooperatives, including through strengthening the
organizational management and financial skills of their members, and to
introduce and support programmes to improve the access of cooperatives to new
technologies; /A/62/128, OP5/
OP7bis. Invites
Governments and international organizations in partnership with
cooperatives and cooperative organizations to promote the growth of
agricultural cooperatives through access to finance, adoption of sustainable
production techniques, investments in rural infrastructure and irrigation,
strengthened marketing mechanisms, and support for the participation of women
in economic activities; /SG report on cooperatives in social development,
A/64/132, para.69 (d)/
OP7ter. Also invites Governments and international
organizations in collaboration with cooperatives and cooperative organizations
to promote the growth of financial cooperatives to meet the goal of inclusive
finance by providing access to financial services for all; /SG report on cooperatives in social development,
A/64/132, para.69 (c)/
OP8. Invites Governments, relevant
international organizations, the specialized agencies and local, national and
international cooperative organizations to continue to observe the
International Day of Cooperatives annually, on the first Saturday of July, as
proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/90; /A/62/128, OP6/
OP9. Requests the Secretary-General, in
cooperation with the relevant United Nations and other international
organizations and national, regional and international cooperative
organizations, to continue rendering support to Member States, as appropriate,
in their efforts to create a supportive environment for the development of
cooperatives, providing assistance for human resources development, technical
advice and training and promoting an exchange of experience and best practices
through, inter alia, conferences, workshops and seminars at the national and
regional levels; /A/62/128, OP7/
8. Also
requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with Member States and
relevant international organizations, to consider effective ways and means for
raising public awareness of the overall socio-economic impact of cooperatives,
including the desirability and the feasibility of proclaiming an International
Year of Cooperatives, and to report thereon to the General Assembly;
OP10. Requests the Secretary-General to submit
to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth sixty-sixth session a report
on the implementation of the present resolution /A/62/128, OP9/, including a proposal on activities to be
undertaken during the International Year of Cooperatives.