Interacting with media persons at IFFCO headquarters in Delhi on Thursday, IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani announced that for the first time in its 130-year history, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) will hold its General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference in India, marking a significant milestone for the country’s growing cooperative sector.
The event, to be hosted by IFFCO in collaboration with 17 other ICA member organizations, is scheduled from November 25 to 30, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, said Sanghani, providing details of the mega cooperative event.
Answering reporters’ queries, Sanghani informed that the conference, themed “Cooperation: The Door to Prosperity for All,” aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of achieving prosperity through cooperation.
“The Amit Shah-led ministry has made several key decisions that have established India’s cooperative movement as a leading force globally. Be it tax reforms, creating a national database of PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies), or the computerization of PACS – many fundamental reforms have been implemented under Amit Shah’s leadership,” he said.
The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, enacted in 1984, was modified in 2002 in line with the spirit of the Model Cooperatives Act. This enabled long-awaited reforms in the cooperative sector, such as holding transparent elections and providing legal protection to cooperative stakeholders. These decisive actions promoted the spirit of cooperation in India, stated Sanghani.
The ICA General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference will be held in New Delhi, India, from November 25 to 30, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam. The program, themed “Cooperation: The Door to Prosperity for All,” will increase the visibility of Indian cooperative societies on a global platform.
The conference is expected to bring together 1,500 guests, including the Prime Minister of Bhutan, the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC), the President of the International Cooperative Alliance, the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, and representatives from more than 100 countries, including the United Nations, he said.
The ICA Global Conference aims to promote cooperatives as people-centric, purpose-driven institutions and inspire global collaboration. Discussions will include measures to promote the engagement of youth and women in cooperative societies. Participants can register on the official ICA website.
The main theme of the event will be explored through four plenary sessions, with four sub-themes: “Policy and Building the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem,” “Reaffirming the Co-operative Identity,” “Nurturing Purposeful Leadership to Create Prosperity for All,” and “Building the Future: Prosperity for All in the 21st Century.”
Detailed information regarding each event is available on the official ICA website. Estimates indicate that 4,000 trees will be required to offset the carbon emissions generated by this conference. Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has already set the target of planting 10,000 peepal trees, and the plantation drive has begun.
This program is also designed to be completely alcohol-free and purely vegetarian. An exhibition related to cooperation will be organized, where IFFCO will showcase its achievements and those of the Indian Cooperative Movement to friends from around the world.