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Welcome
2012 has been recognised as the International Year of Co-operatives by the United Nations. This is an acknowledgement by the international community that co-operatives drive the economy, respond to social change, are resilient to the global economic crisis and are serious, successful businesses creating jobs in all sectors.
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Find out more
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Media
A key aim of the International Year is to raise public awareness of the co-operative business model.
In the media section you can find a full range of the IYC media, fact sheets, news, blogs, images and other downloadable resources to help raise public awareness and make the most of the International Year. -
Recent Blog Posts
Read the latest commentary about the International Year on the IYC blog.13 hours 45 min ago1 day 14 hours ago -
UN International Year
The International Year of
Co-operatives celebrates a different way of doing business, one focused on human need not human greed, where the members, who own and govern the business, collectively enjoy the benefits instead of all profits going just to shareholders. -
THE ICA
The International Co-operative Alliance is an independent, non-governmental organisation that unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. It exists to provide an effective and efficient global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about co-operatives.
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CO-OPERATIVE VALUES & PRINCIPLES
All co-operative businesses are run using the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity to guide them. In the tradition of their founders,
co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and
caring for others. -
EVENTS
The International Co-operative Alliance is working with a number of organisations throughout the International Year in order to deliver a number of major co-operative events throughout 2012. These demonstrate the scale and breadth of the co-operative world.
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ORGANISING AN EVENT?
Are you planning an event to celebrate the International Co-operative Alliance in your country? Make sure you tell other co-operators about your event by adding it to the ICA’s event’s calendar.
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GLOBAL300
The Global300 Report is published on a biannual basis and brings together information about the 300 largest co-operative organisations around the world, in order to demonstrate the movement’s scale, breadth and reach. The top 300 co-operatives have a turnover of USD 1.6 trillion equivalent to the GDP of the ninth largest economy.
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GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATIVE
The Global Development Co-operative aims to support co-operative businesses in developing countries by raising USD 50m to provide access to low cost loans for capital and infrastructure projects. This will be one of the real legacies from the International Year.
Story of the Day
Iran’s IT Success Story
- Cooperativa Policial de Ahorro y Crédito - Uruguay
- Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Arecibo - Puerto Rico
- Confederacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Actividades Diversas de la Republica Mexicana
- La Equidad Seguros - Colombia
- Central Nacional das Cooperativas Ontontologicas - Brazil
- La Segunda Cooperativa Limitada Seguros Generales - Argentina
- Benenden Healthcare Society Limited
- Scotmid Co-operative
- Chelmsford Star Co-operative
- Channel Islands Co-operative
- Southern Co-operative
- Lincolnshire Co-operative
- Anglia Regional Co-operative
- East of England Co-operative
- Midcounties Co-operative
- Midlands CS
- National Co-operative Agricultural & Rural Development Banks Fed. Ltd. (NCARDBF)
- Banco Credicoop Cooperativo Ltd. (BCCL)
- Co-operative Central Bank Ltd. (CCB)
- Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito 'Sagrada Familia' Ltda.
- Central Union of Consumer Societies of Ukraine (UKOOPSPILKA)
- Union of Sugar Beet Growers' Production Co-operative (Pankobirlik)
- KONFEKOOP - Confederación de Cooperativas de Euskadi
- National Union of Handicraft and Production Co-operatives of Romania (UCECOM)
- National Auditing Union of Workers' Co-operatives (NAUWC)
- Confederazione Cooperative Italiane (CONFCOOPERATIVE)
- National Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives and Producers (MOSZ)
- SOK Corporation
- Central Co-operative Union (CCU)
- National Co-operative Federation of Nepal
- National Co-operative Council of Sri Lanka (NCC)
- Union of Myanmar Central Co-operative Society Ltd
- National Federation of Fisheries Co-operatives (NFFC)
- iCOOP Solidarity of Consumer Co-operatives (iCOOP Korea)
- Farda Oil Co.
- National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC)
- Co-operative House Building & Finance Corporation Ltd
- International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Co-operatives (ICCIC-Gung Ho)
- Cooperativa Médica del Valle y Profesionales de Colombia (COOMEVA)
Donate to the International Year
Make a financial contribution to the Year to help us raise the profile of co-operative working.

















