87^th ICA International Co-operative Day

15^th UN International Day of Cooperatives

(4 July 2009)

"Driving global recovery through co-operatives"

This year the theme of the International Day focuses on the opportunities for co-operatives to highlight how they not only promote economic growth, but also promote their ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. It underlines the fact that co-operatives are enterprises that can effectively contribute to global economic recovery, but also that these enterprises will do so in respect of the co-operative values and principles which guide their operations.

The theme focuses on recovery rather than crisis, but allows stakeholders to address the response of the co-operative movement to crisis - financial, food, values. However, it is important that we not forget that co-operatives serve their members needs in both good and bad times whether it be economically, socially and/or culturally. They are not tools to address crisis, but a sustainable form of enterprise that outlives crisis and drives recovery.