Co-operatives Now
In the 1980s and 1990s the quest for economic progress usually failed to recognise the potential of co-operatives. Instead, they were often portrayed as models from a previous era that had 'served their time'. Now, the extraordinary power of the simple idea of co-operatives - democratically owned and controlled enterprises, serving their members' needs, rooted in their communities - is again proving popular. Co-operatives are now demonstrating themselves to be 21st century businesses.
In 2002, the International Labour Conference of the ILO adopted a new 'Recommendation' (193) - an international policy guideline, which provides a framework for co-operatives (and promoting them) for the 21st century. A pdf version of the Guide can be accessed here.