2025: The International Year of Cooperatives
The United Nation has officially designated 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC 2025), a global initiatives to showcase the invaluable contribution of cooperatives in sustainable development, economic inclusion and community resilience with the theme "Cooperatives Builds a Better World". The UN General Assembly invites member states to consider establishing national committees to coordinate and prepare for IYC25 activities.
Pragmatically, the IYC 2025 is designed to reassemble the socioeconomic depression by revitalizing and reawakening the clean operating practices considering contemporary geopolitical position of cooperatives in Nepal. In addition, this year is equally expected to increase the contribution level in the global agendas of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by deepening the cooperative identity in the grassroots; that cooperatives are solid stakeholder to localize SDGs. The fringe amendment agendas in the cooperative values and principles on "New Delhi Assembly 2024" reveals that cooperatives should deep dive in the community landscape. Cooperatives engagement to community is instrumental to socioeconomic and environmental development. Cooperatives should create a aligned social business and institutional network management in national and global perspective.
Contextually, the year of IYC 2025 is vital in Nepal too. This is an opportunity to reveal the wonder of cooperatives in socioeconomic development eradicating the potential malpractices in the cooperative landscape.
The recent enacted ordinance of cooperatives in Nepal is designed to regulate cooperative and safeguard depositors' fund. However, few articles in the ordinance are against the spirit of cooperative values, principles and it kills the sense of "Deepening Cooperative Identity" in the grassroots. Among others the vital threats of this legislation is to stop the members' fundamental rights to deposit legal money in a big volume. The provision severely hit the Cooperative Principle "Economic Participation of Members".
In this point, the IYC 2025 is in front. This year is an opportunistic year to break down the pessimistic connotation upon cooperative in Nepal. This year is also the year to prove that cooperatives are run under cooperative values and principles. Lets show the world that cooperative identities are unique to any other philosophy. It is well said that Self-Regulations and Governance are in a DNA of cooperatives. Therefore, create a landscape do self-regulation under a national law.
As a cooperative apex of Nepal, National Cooperative Federation boldly appeals to The Government of Nepal, member organizations, sectorial cooperatives, individual members and stakeholders to take ownership of the objective of IYC. The world is shouting to showcase cooperative identity and how "Cooperatives Builds a Better World, Better Nepal".
Let's consider the UN appeals to all its member states to support, engage and take ownership in following phenomenon:
- Governments creating an enabling environment for cooperatives
- Cooperatives promoting public awareness, developing new leaders, and leveraging cooperation
- Institutions and development agencies promoting cooperatives through education, strengthening capacities, and facilitating international collaboration
- The public understanding the cooperative identity and supporting cooperative initiatives
- Highlights the national impact of cooperatives in your reports, journals, articles and programs
- Reveal that the cooperatives models are crucial to address national challenges
- Underscore the significant role of cooperatives in the localization and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030