Rabobank Group

 

Rabobank Group has come forward as the first donor to the International Year of Cooperatives and the work of the United Nations on Cooperatives in Social Development. In an effort to ensure the success of the upcoming International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), Rabobank has earmarked US$200,000 to help finance the communication campaign and other activities focused on promoting and supporting the role of cooperatives in social development.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Rabobank is one of the 30 largest financial institutions in the world. It is a cooperative, governed by its members, and providing a wide range of financial services. “We are a cooperative enterprise,” said Piet Moerland, chairman of the Executive Board of Rabobank Nederland, “and not only have we seen how this model of enterprise has worked to provide sustained growth in the Netherlands, but we also use our development expertise, through Rabo Development and Rabobank Foundation, to successfully support households and businesses in other parts of the world.”

Within the United Nations, the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is coordinating the activities of the year in collaboration with its partners in the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement for Cooperatives. “I think I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that I am heartened by this contribution,” said Daniela Bas, Director of the Division. “The International Year of Cooperatives is no small matter for us. Cooperative enterprises provide a ready answer to many of the social development issues we seek to address on a daily basis, including social inclusion and the reduction of social and economic vulnerabilities.”