The high voltage co-op event- Asia Pacific Co-operative Registrars’ Forum which took place in Vietnam ended with the participants vowing to meet again to further the cause of the cooperative movement in the Asia and Pacific region.
Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Central Registrar, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, India also spoke on the occasion and said spreading cooperative network in rural areas to address the needs of farmers for their income enhancement is of paramount importance. Likhi also said adapting to climate change and adopting smart practices should be other areas of focus for cooperatives.
Likhi also stressed on the need to involve more and more youths in the cooperative movement. “Young brigade in the coop sector is the need of the hour”, said Likhi addressing the cooperative meet. Likhi, in his impressive presentation also mentioned about NCDC global co-op fair scheduled to take place in India in October.
More than 300 delegates and 100 co-operative organistions from 33 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific region participated. There were also several representatives from ICA global including Mr Bruno Roelants, Director General.
Indian contingent was also pretty strong though ICA A-P Vice-Chairman Chandra Pal Singh Yadav could not make it due to his pre-engagements with ongoing elections. More than 15 cooperators from India were there including NCUI Governing Council member and its CE K Sivadasan Nair and N Satyanarayan respectively, Nafed MD Sanjiv Chaddha, Fishcopfed MD B K Mishra, Nafscob MD Bhima Subramaniyam, Buldana Urban CEO Sukesh Zamwar, women co-op leader from South Nandini Azad, among others.
Tweeting about the Forum’s focus ICA A-P Regional Director Balu Iyer said -Day 2 of ICA-AP Registrar’s Forum in Ho Chi Minh City looks at government’s perspective on cooperatives to promote inclusive societies, sustainable food systems, and work & entrepreneurship. Views from Singapore, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Fiji and Nepal.
Balu also stressed upon the need for working together and looking ahead. He also expounded at length on the definition of cooperative types, status of worker-member, minimum number of members & financing of co-ops as top issues facing co-ops today.
Besides Likhi, several speakers put forth their ideas before the forum. G.V. Krishnagopal, CEO ALC discussed the relevance of collective enterprises and the need for private incubators to develop coops using patient equity resources. Malaysian Coop Societies Commissions underlined the emerging need for coop entrepreneurship in the region. More than 14k coops in Malaysia are seen as the growth vehicle for the economy, particularly low income households & rural communities, the Malaysian speaker said.
Mr Bruno Roelants, Director General and Mr Hyungsik Eum, Statistics & Strategy Officer of global body ICA also shared valuable insights at the Second AP Cooperative Registrars’ Forum.
It bears recall that the Asia Pacific Co-operative Registrars’ Forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17, under the theme “Creating Enabling Legal Framework and Policies to Promote Sustainable Development of Co-operatives in the 21st Century”.
The forum was jointly organised by the Vietnam Co-operative Alliance, the International Co-operative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP) and the Institute of Organic Agricultural Economics. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue inaugurated the Forum.
