VGP – A meeting was held on July 7 to mark the International Year of Cooperatives 2012 with the attendance of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the meeting to mark the International Year of Cooperatives 2012, Hanoi, July 7, 2012 – Photo: VGP |
Over the past 200 years, cooperatives have made substantial contributions to socio-economic development in countries across the world.
Nearly 750,000 cooperatives have contributed to improving living standards of half of the world’s population. Their active role and contributions, particularly to sustainable development, poverty reduction and realization of the Millennium Development Goals have been recognized by the United Nations.
In Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh called on people to join cooperatives 64 years ago. Since then, the State has adopted a number of policies to support their development.
Vietnamese cooperatives, a broad economic sector, account for 6% of the gross domestic product. Many of them have contributed actively to economic transformation, poverty reduction, community building, national solidarity, and political and social stability.
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| Delegates to the meeting – Photo: VGP |
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Dung stressed that the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, which is responsible for representing and protecting legitimates interests of cooperatives nationwide, needs to actively put forth proposals to perfect legal framework on cooperatives.
The alliance should also attach more importance to vocational training and management skills training, improving knowledge of marketing, brand building and international integration.
The Government chief urged the alliance to speed up other activities like credit-information assistance, scientific and technological consultancy and trade promotion.
Speaking at the event, FAO Chief Representative in Vietnam Yuriko Shoji emphasized cooperatives' role in poverty reduction, job creation, social connectivity, and improving the position of the poor and other vulnerable groups.
She affirmed that FAO would continue coordinating closely with Vietnam to create a favorable legal framework for the development of cooperatives and stand ready to support the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and Vietnamese Government to renovate this economic sector for equal and sustainable development.
By Hai Minh
