United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2012

What are the Objectives of the Year?

The International Year of Cooperatives has three main objectives:

Increase awareness	Increase public awareness about cooperatives and their contributions to socio-economic development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
Promote growth	Promote the formation and growth of co-operatives among individuals and institutions to address common economic needs and for socio-economic empowerment
Establish appropriate policies	Encourage Governments and regulatory bodies to establish policies, laws and regulation conducive to co-operative formation and growth.

By raising awareness about cooperatives – what they are, and what they do – the Year will help to encourage support and development of cooperative enterprises by individuals and their communities.