[ Gyati Kobing ]
The UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) in 2025 is a global initiative of the United Nation Organization to celebrate and promote the role of cooperatives in sustainable development.
On 19 June, 2024, the General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The theme of celebration is ‘Cooperative Build a Better World’. It is aimed at promotion of social inclusion, economic empowerment and sustainable development through cooperative.
The IYC is aimed at highlighting how cooperative contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas like poverty reduction, gender equality, and sustainable economic growth. The prime objectives of this noble initiative is to raise public awareness about the contributions of cooperatives to sustainable development; promote growth and development strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem and establishment for cooperatives; advocate supportive frameworks by encouraging creation of enabling legal and policy environment for cooperatives globally; and inspire leadership by fostering powerful leadership and engage youths in the cooperative movement.
To quote Ariel Guarco, president of the International Cooperative Alliances, “This is the second time in history that the UN has dedicated an international year to cooperatives, and this is not a coincidence. Cooperatives are present in every aspect of our lives, and answering to each of the SDGs everywhere.”
The International Cooperative Alliance, which unites, represents and serves cooperatives worldwide, has also adopted the UN resolution A/RES/78/289.
On 20 November, 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives at the ICA Global Cooperatives Conference and General Assembly in New Delhi. The conference was attended by representatives of 100 countries who discussed how cooperatives build prosperity for all, focusing on four conference pillars: reaffirming cooperatives identity; enabling supportive policies; developing strong leadership; and building a sustainable future.
These discussions shaped the New Delhi action agenda, which asks individual cooperatives, communities, civil society organizations, the private sector, governments, opinion shapers and multilateral institutions to take concrete actions for a just society. The prime minister said, “For India, cooperatives are a way of life. For the whole world, cooperatives are a business model, but at the same time, cooperation is the basis of our culture. It is a lifestyle”.
Today, India is the frontrunner in the cooperative movement with more than eight lakh cooperative societies affiliating 29 crore membership undertaking various socioeconomic development activities. One lakh trillion economy is the target set by the GoI under the dynamic leadership of Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, to be contributed by cooperative sector over next five years in Indian economy.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the cooperative movement started under the British India Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 (Act II of 1912). All India Rural Credit Survey 1951-54 recommended organization and registration of cooperative societies in each districts of India. In compliance with this landmark recommendation, and also in the wake of the Sino-India border conflict 1962, because of which there was a paradigm shift in the Nehru-Elwin policies of exclusives tribal development to progressive integration of indigenous people within the mainstream of India, Arunachal, the then NEFA, organized and registered the first cooperative society in 1957 in Pasighat, in the then Siang district.
The Department of Cooperation was established and Col Usuf Ali was the first ex-officio registrar of the Cooperative Societies. After two decades, Arunachal has enacted the Cooperative Societies Act, 1978 (Act II of 1979), and framed a rule, namely, the Arunachal Pradesh Cooperative Societies Rule, 1982. It has been amended once in 2014 (31 July, 2014) as per 97th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011, whereby cooperative have been made a fundamental right. As on date, the state boasts of organizing and registration of 1,449 cooperative societies with 76,700 memberships generating employment opportunity for 17,250 in this sector. There are 567 multipurpose cooperative societies, five state-level federal cooperative organization, 168 large-sized multipurpose cooperative societies, 58 thrift & credit cooperative societies, 38 dairy cooperative societies, 30 fisheries cooperative societies, 15 industrial cooperative societies, seven school cooperative societies, 17 labourers cooperative societies, four piggery cooperative societies, 57 artisans & weavers cooperative societies, 155 consumer & marketing cooperative societies, besides 328 others.
The annual budget allocation is 210 lakh with break-up of 100 lakh for capital expenditure; 50 lakh under grant-in-aid to the APSCU; 20 lakh for information, education and communication expenditure, and remaining 40 lakh for IYC related activities.
The inaugural event of IYC, 2025 was observed on 29 May, 2025, at the ATI conference hall in Naharlagun. Cooperation Minister Ojing Tasing and ITBP Deputy Inspector General Angad Prasad Yadava attended it. A host of dignitaries, including representative from the NCDC, NABARD, Directorates of Agriculture, Veterinaries & Animal Husbandry, & Dairy, Fisheries, Milk Union, AP Public Transport Association, state level federal cooperative organizations, LAMPS, district cooperative unions, primary cooperative societies, SHGs, pioneers cooperative leaders, etc, besides others witnessed the programme.
Mass tree plantation drives were conducted with theme ‘Ek Pedh Maa Ke Naam’ in various districts. The famous IYC, 2025 logo, in the form of vehicle stickers, have been widely circulated across Arunachal.
Vividly speaking, the cooperative sector is confronted with many limitations, challenges and shortsightedness. Seemingly, glorious principles, ethics and values of cooperatives are not grounded; members are ignorant, lack information and knowledge; share capital base remain constant, membership are static; negligible economic participation; meagre business turnover; dividend doldrums; no regular BoD & AG meeting; ebb out cooperation amongst cooperatives; virtually no cooperative leaders, and so on and so forth. To aggravate, the state has no defined cooperative policy; obsolete act and rule incompatible to techno savvy cut-throat economic era; obscure credit flow linkages; absence of domain for business development; fund paucity for capital expenditure, capacity building, exposure, skill development and research-attributed to government.
Setting cooperatives sector off from bandages, it ardently requires drawing of practical roadmap for emancipation to thrive beyond. M Gilbert F Houngbo, director-general, International Labour Organization (ILO) said, “Together, let’s ensure that 2025 marks the beginning of a new era for cooperatives – one that brings the goal of a more just and inclusive global economy closer.”
The UN IYC, 2025 ushered wide scope and vista for evaluation, re-examine and re-draw to make way out for cooperative sector. Also, to quote Mr Jeroen Douglas, director general of the International Cooperative Alliance, “We call to cooperators worldwide to share their pride for what cooperatives are doing to build a better world, and to take advantage of the International Year of Cooperatives in 2025.”
Towards reaffirming cooperatives identity, cooperators and stakeholders alike are required to embrace the glorious principle of cooperative enumerated by International Cooperative Alliance. These values, ethic and spirit must be imbued into each cooperative society. Open and voluntary membership; autonomy and independence; education, training and information; economic participations; democratic member’s control; cooperation amongst cooperatives and concern for communities, are central to cooperative society.
Developing strong leadership is as important as cooperative itself. Each cooperator needs to muster more temerity to raise common interest within and outside of society. Spirit of ‘cooperation amongst cooperative’ needs to be strengthened beyond measure to catapult representative. A semblance of strict regulatory is needed for members within cooperative society, ensuring optimum participation in economy and management at large. Competitiveness in management, economic pursuit and instinct, and role of member’s in decision making, etc, must be hallmark of each society. Members must be sensitive to changing need and aspiration and march ahead for sky developing ability of managing risk and uncertainty in venture.
The best effort of cooperators is bound to fail if the government remains a mute spectator. The government ought to proclaim a ‘year of emancipation’ with vibrant policy to promote it. It must create conducive environment and cooperative-friendly plans, policies and programmes to boast the morale and spirit of cooperators. The capital expenditure and credit flow channel require foolproof institution. Economic domain is needed to be earmarked to address impending danger of peril. A definite cooperative goal-setting through strong cooperative policy framework is inevitable. Streamlining in working pattern, sufficient manpower and efficiency in department need justification to do justice to New Delhi’s action agenda of provision of enabling supportive policies.
And, last but not least, building a sustainable future is what cooperative is for. To accomplish this agenda, technological integration in operating system, inventiveness and adaptability must be made integral to management of each cooperative. The cooperative society must align their business with Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India’s various development initiatives. India world’s largest grain storage target plan by 2029; White Revolution 2.0 initiative to produces 5 lakh litres of milk by 2029; PACS/LAMPS re-organization with appropriate SOP, computerization process opportunity given to undertake at least three activities other than credit such as common services centre, retail outlet for petrol and diesel, and Jan Ausdhadhi Kendra, etc, are definite areas for sustainable future. According to the principle of ‘Cooperation amongst cooperatives’, each cooperative society can subscribe share capital in national-level federal cooperative organization like NAFED, IFFCO, NCOL, NCEL, BBCL, etc.
In a nutshell, Mr Li Junhua, under-secretary-general of the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs said, “The decision by the General Assembly could not be timelier. The innovative contributions of cooperatives for sustainable development will be crucial for accelerating progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as we approach 2030”.
As we approach 2030, hope Arunachal cooperative movement would be able to scale highest peak for all to see. Wish you all happy and impactful International Year of Cooperative, 2025. (The contributor is DRCS, Department of of Cooperation, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The views expressed are personal)