Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024 and launch the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025 today, November 25, at 3 PM at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
For the first time in its 130-year history, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is hosting its Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly in India. Organized by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) in partnership with ICA, the Government of India, and Indian cooperatives such as AMUL and KRIBHCO, the event will run from November 25 to 30.
With the theme, “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All,” the conference resonates with the Indian Government’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation). The program will include discussions, panel sessions, and workshops to explore how cooperatives can tackle global challenges and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Topics such as poverty alleviation, gender equality, and sustainable economic growth will be addressed.
During the event, PM Modi will officially launch the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025, centered around the theme, “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”This initiative highlights the pivotal role of cooperatives in fostering social inclusion, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. Recognized by the UN SDGs as essential to reducing inequality, promoting decent work, and eradicating poverty, cooperatives will take center stage in this global campaign to address pressing global challenges.
PM will unveil a commemorative postal stamp symbolizing India’s dedication to the cooperative movement. The stamp design features a lotus, representing peace, strength, resilience, and growth, in line with the cooperative principles of sustainability and community development. Its five petals reflect the Panchatatva (five elements of nature), underlining cooperatives’ focus on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The stamp also integrates imagery from various cooperative sectors such as agriculture, dairy, fisheries, housing, and technology, including a drone symbolizing modern agricultural innovation.
The conference will welcome prominent international figures, including Prime Minister of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji Manoa Kamikamica, along with approximately 3,000 delegates from over 100 countries.