The work of the Cooperative Branch, based on the New ILO Recommendation No. 193, (2002), includes: providing policy advice to ILO Member States; technical cooperation; organizing international meetings; producing documentation and information to increase public awareness of cooperatives; and promoting cooperative values and principles. The technical cooperation activities cover a wide range of themes from cooperative legislation and human resource development to job creation, poverty alleviation and local economic development.

• Message of the Director-General of the International Labour Office on the occasion of the International Day of Cooperatives 2008 - Français -- Español
• ILO Online Feature Interview: "International Day of Cooperatives - Cooperating in times of crisis" - Français - Español
• ILO Slideshow: "Confronting Climate Change": How cooperatives contribute to meeting today's challenges" - Français - Español
• See link to background information and links to the messages from the United Nations (UN), Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), and International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)

Cooperatives and the ILO --"COOP News", No. 2, May 2008

COOP News, No. 2, 2008 includes the following articles:

• Legal and policy frameworks for cooperative development
  - Cooperative Law & ILO Natlex / Législation coopérative et Natlex
  - COOP provides technical guidance on taxation policies
  
• Rural cooperatives for improved livelihoods
  - Cooperatives linked to rural prosperity in Finland
  - Ethiopian coffee co-op builds thriving rural communities
  - Did you know?
  - UN Secretary-General: Food crisis and cooperatives - Les coopératives agricoles françaises premier employeur aux niveaux communaux et régionaux
  - People, power, proposerity: Small businesses form Yebo cooperative
• Rural cooperatives promote green jobs
  - Co-ops boost rural tourism
  - Wind cooperatives: A powerful community model
• CoopAfrica
  - Grant schemes to promote cooperatives in Africa
• Noteworthy
  - Sub-regional child labour training session for cooperative trainers

See past issue: COOP News, No. 1, March 2007 - COOP News, No. 2, November 2007 - COOP News No. 1, March 2008

ILO COOP Fact Sheet: Cooperatives and Rural Employment

ILO Cooperative Branch issues fact sheets on how cooperatives contribute to addressing ILO priority issues of work.

Over 100 million jobs have been generated by cooperatives around the world. As agriculture remains the major source of income and employment in rural areas and the majority of cooperatives are found in the agricultural sector, cooperatives are significant in providing jobs to rural communities. They provide direct employment, as well as seasonal and casual work. However, cooperatives also maintain farmers ability to be self-employed given that for many farmers the fact that they are members of a cooperative and derive income from the services, allows them to continue to farm and contribute to rural community development. The impact of cooperatives in providing income to rural populations creates additional employment through multiplier effects including enabling other rural enterprises to grow and in turn provide local jobs. See Fact Sheet No.1

"Cooperating out of Child Labour": Fact Sheet on Cooperatives and Child Labour

The Cooperative Branch (EMP/COOP) and the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) have partnered with the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) to to raise awareness on the current and potential contribution of cooperatives in contributing to eliminating child labour as well as to strengthen the capacity of cooperatives around world to tackle the issue of child labour. A report on cooperatives and child labour is currently in preparation which will highlight good practice and suggest ways forward.

In addition, on the occasion of World Day of Action against Child Labour 2007, a fact sheet on cooperatives and child labour has been prepared in English, French and Spanish. See more information on this year's theme "Harvest for the future: Agriculture without Child Labour".

Following the MoU that was signed between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) on 10 February 2004, a follow-up meeting was organized on 1 March 2007 with the ILO Director-General and the ICA President at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva to review the activities carried out under the MoU, their impact worldwide, and discuss future joint activities.

See leaflet for more information

Joint ILO-ICA Global Co-operative Campaign Against Poverty

The ILO and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) have joined forces to enable poor people to "cooperate out of poverty" through a Global Cooperative Campaign Against poverty. See the jointly developed website for more information - www.outofpoverty.coop.