The International Year of Cooperatives’ main objectives are to increase public awareness about cooperatives and their contributions to socio-economic development, promote the formation and growth of cooperatives. In particular it recognises their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.

The International Year encourages governments to establish policies, laws and regulations conducive to the formation, growth and stability of cooperatives. The slogan of this International Year is “Cooperative enterprises build a better world” and the logo evokes the definition of cooperative enterprises as autonomous associations of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, cultural needs and aspirations, through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. It is a tremendous opportunity for CECOP - CICOPA Europe to highlight the role of worker cooperatives, social cooperatives and participative and worker-owned enterprises in this field.

Together with all its members and the whole cooperative movement, CECOP - CICOPA Europe will celebrate this International Year through various activities that will be advertised on this page.