Page 61 - SACCO STAR ISSUE 43

INTERNATIONAL NEWS ROUNDUP

ICA RENEWS ITS CO-OPERATION WITH FAO

The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) on May 4th signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Geneva, to renew
collaboration and deepen their strategic partnership that dates back to 2013.

The MoU signed by ICA’s president Ariel Guarco and the FAO’s deputy director general
Daniel Gustafson is geared towards sustaining and promoting the vital role played
by co-operatives in stamping out food insecurity, rational management of natural
resources and ensuring decreased rural poverty.

FAO urged co-operatives around the globe to emphasize more on agricultural Co- THE WORLD
operatives and farmers' networks in efforts to enhance food security and nutrition CO-OPERATIVE
MOVEMENT
WORKSHOP TO PROMOTE WOMEN LEADERS IN CO-OPERATIVES MOURNS PAUL
HELD SINGER

International Co-operative Alliance excerpts of women leaders from the mutual The global co-operative
Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP) office held a insurer, The Co-operators. movement on April 16th lost
workshop to promote women leaders a key player in the sector,
in Co-operatives dubbed “Re- Work, The presentation brought out that the Paul Singer, the former Brazil
Re- Imagine and Re- Shape: Advancing barriers faced by women from getting secretary of state for the
Women CEOs in Co-operatives”. senior positions in co-operatives, despite Solidarity Economy and an
being well trained are similar. Partakers economist in Sao Paulo.
Addressing attendees of the workshop agreed that there is need for targets and
Alexandra Wilson from Canada, one gender equality policies that address The 86 years old was a
among seven females on ICA’s board systemic barriers. global champion for the
and the keynote speaker derived co-operative movement
who in 2013, was the
CULedger GETS NOD TO JOIN WOCCU keynote speaker at the 2013
International Co-operative
US-based credit union service organization (CUSO) CULedger was in the first quarter of Alliance (ICA) conference
2018 approved as a member of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). and also facilitated at a
joint International Labour
WOCCU leader, Brian Branch welcomed the new member and encouraged its active Organization/United Nations
participation to expand services provided to members and strengthen the global credit Research Institute Social
union movement. Development conference
in Geneva on social and
Founded by CUNA Strategic Services and Credit Union Strategic Partners and with solidarity economy.
coordination from CUNA, Mountain West CU Association and Best Innovation Group,
CULedger seeks to provide block chain services, identity and digital services to credit He was also involved in
unions around the world. a global conference on
worker co-operatives
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CO-OPERATIVES THEME UNVEILED held at Marseille, France
and planned by CICOPA-
The United Nation’s International Day of Co-operatives (IDC) 2018 theme is the United International Organisation
Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 12, "sustainable consumption of Industrial and Service
and production of goods and services". Co-operatives and a sector
organization of ICA for
The theme denotes exercising environmental cautiousness while gaining from natural International Year of Co-
resources the environment has to offer. operatives.

The 7th July event’s theme was unveiled by Ariel Guarco, the President of the Courtesy www.ica.coop
International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and was selected following a global survey.
Consequently, the selected #CoopsDay slogan will be "Sustainable societies through SACCO Star Magazine |59
cooperation".