New Delhi [India], September 19 : For the first time in the International Cooperation Alliance's (ICA) 130-year history, the ICA General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference will be hosted by India.
The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) will host the conference in collaboration with 17 other ICA member organisations. This event will be organised with the special support and guidance of the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, the IFFCO said in a release on Thursday.
The ICA General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference will be held in New Delhi from November 25 to 30, at the Bharat Mandapam.
According to the release, the programme themed "Cooperation: The Door to Prosperity for All" will increase the visibility of Indian cooperative societies on a global platform. It will provide an opportunity to Indian cooperatives to showcase their achievements, challenges and contributions, thereby promoting the Indian cooperative model.
The event will mark the official announcement of the United Nations International Year of Co-operation 2025.
As per a release, the conference is expected to bring together 1,500 guests, including the Prime Minister of Bhutan, President of the United Nations Economic Council (UN ECOSOC), President of the International Cooperative Alliance, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, and representatives of more than 100 countries, including the United Nations.
The ICA Global Conference aims to promote cooperatives as people-centric, purpose-driven institutions and inspire global collaboration. Measures to promote the engagement of youth and women with cooperative societies will also be deliberated. Participants may register on the official website of ICA.
"The main theme of the event will be discussed through four plenary sessions, with four sub-themes: "Policy and Building the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem," "Reaffirming the Co-operative Identity," "Nurturing Purposeful Leadership to Create Prosperity for All," and "Building the Future: Prosperity for All in the 21st Century," the IFFCO release added.
An exhibition related to cooperation will also be organised, through which IFFCO will showcase its achievements and that of the Indian Cooperative Movement to friends from all over the world.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of achieving 'prosperity through cooperation' has received global recognition under the leadership of India's first Union Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah," the release said.
As per the release, the Amit Shah-led ministry has taken several key decisions that have established India's cooperative movement as a leading force in the world. Be it tax reforms, creating a national database of PACS, or computerisation of PACS--many fundamental reforms were made under the leadership of Amit Shah.
The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, enacted in 1984, was modified in 2002, in keeping with the spirit of the Model Cooperatives Act. This enabled the long-awaited reforms by the cooperative sector, such as holding transparent elections, legal protection to the interests of cooperative stakeholders. These decisive actions promoted the spirit of cooperation in India.