India will host the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) General Assembly and a Global Cooperative Conference for the first time in November this year.
The announcement was made during a press conference jointly addressed by Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Shri Joren Douglas, Director General of International Cooperative Alliance and Dr. U S Awasthi, MD, IFFCO at New Delhi today.
This prestigious international event shall be organized in the country at a time when Prime Minister Modi has given the mantra of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’ i.e. Prosperity Through Cooperation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to inaugurate the event.
The event shall strengthen the cooperative movement in India which is already witnessing dynamic actions since the formation of the Ministry of Cooperation at the national level.
Scheduled at New Delhi from November 25 to 30, the event is expected to attract around 1,500 distinguished guests from over 100 countries.
International Cooperative Allienace or ICA is a non-profit international association founded in 1895, represents cooperatives worldwide and promotes the cooperative social enterprise model.
The Fertilizer behemoth IFFCO is hosting the ICA General Assembly and the Global Cooperative Conference. IFFCO’s Managing Director, U.S. Awasthi, announced that the conference will feature an exhibition of Indian cooperative products and services presented in a ‘Haat’ setup, designed to reflect the theme of Indian village.
He also emphasized that the event will be “carbon neutral,” with plans to offset any carbon emissions by planting 10,000 Peepal (Ficus Religiosa) saplings across the country. Additionally, only vegetarian meals will be served, and no liquor will be available during the six-day conference.
The conference will also mark the official launch of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025. Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend the event on November 25, 2024, and will be the Chief Guest in the inaugural session. A commemorative stamp marking the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 will be unveiled during the event.
ICA Director General Jeroen Douglas highlighted that India, one of the co-founders of the 130-year-old ICA, boasts around 800,000 cooperative societies out of a global total of 30 lakh cooperatives. He noted the significant role of the cooperative sector in India’s agricultural and allied industries.
ICA DG said that the theme for the conference will be ‘Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All.’
Prime Minister of Bhutan, the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), the ICA President, UN Representatives, ICA Members, and notable figures from the Indian cooperative movement are among the 1,500 distinguished guests representing over 100 countries who are expected to participate.
Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, noted that the event’s theme aligns with the Government of India’s slogan ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity through Cooperation).
He said that since the formation of a separate Ministry of Cooperation, the Indian cooperative sector has achieved new milestones, achieving greater contribution to the National GDP by launching 54 initiatives for the growth and development of the cooperative movement.
