By Balu Iyer
The 11th International Co-operative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) Regional Assembly and 8th Co-operative Forum will take place in Bali from September 15 to 20, 2014. Over 500 co-operators from 20 countries in the Asia Pacific region are expected to take part in the proceedings.
The biennial Regional Assembly brings together all members and provides them a platform to discuss multiple issues concerning development and growth of co-operatives and provides them the opportunity to network and form bilateral and multilateral alliances for mutual benefit.
The Regional Assembly plays a vital role in strengthening the democratic governance process of co-operatives by building consensus on issues relating to strategic direction and policy recommendations. The first Regional Assembly was held in 1995 in New Delhi, India and subsequent Assemblies have moved across countries in the region.
In order to take forward the implementation of ICA Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade, and to achieve ICA’s goal of positioning co-operatives as, ‘Builders of Sustainability,” the overall theme of the 11th Regional Assembly and 8th Cooperative Forum is: “Co-operatives Build a Sustainable Society. The theme was chosen in the context of ICA-ILO initiatives to position co-operatives as “Builder of Sustainability” and to impress upon the United Nations to formally recognize the role of co-operatives in the realization of sustainable development goals.
The Co-operative Forum will look at evidences of sustainable socio-economic-environmentalgrowth of co-operatives in the Asia-Pacific region’ and the novel approachesand innovations taking place in the field. The role of data and research to demonstrate sustainability and growth of co-operatives in the region will be an important aspect of the Forum.
In addition to the ICA-AP Regional Board meeting and Committee Meetings the Assembly will celebrate 2014 International Year of Family Farming.
The International Co-operative Agricultural Organization (ICAO), the sectoral body of the ICA, with the collaboration of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will highlight the importance of promote family farming smallholders while increasing the awareness of both the contribution of family farming to food production and socio-economic development in rural areas. The Women Committee will hold a seminar on Gender mainstreaming in Co-operatives for Sustainable Development while the Consumer Committee will look at the role of co-operatives in Consumer – Seminar on Environmental Protection. 11 reasearchers are expected to present novel developments in the field of co-operatives.
The Assembly will be graced by ICA President Ms. Pauline Green, ICA Director General Mr. Charles Gould, and ICA Asia Pacific President Mr. Li Chunsheng. Among the prominent speakers to address the Assembly are: Prof. Frederick O. Wanyama, School of Development and Strategic Studies, Maseno University, Kenya; Mr. Gianluca Salvatori, CEO, European Research Institute on Co-operative and Social Enterprises; Dr. Burhanudin Abdullah, President, Co-operative University of Indonesia; Ms. Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Former Minister of Women Empowerment Republic of Indonesia, Vice President of DEKOPIN; Ms. Masako Shinbo, Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Women; and Mr. Peter Van Rooij Director, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Indonesia.
(The author is Regional Director, International Co-operative Alliance Asia Pacific)
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