Cooperatives are important in improving the living and working conditions of women and men globally. They also make essential infrastructure and services available in areas neglected by the state and by non-cooperative enterprises.

Moreover, cooperatives have the potential to advance the concept of decent work. This is because they:

• promote fundamental principles and rights at work by encouraging freedom of association and workplace democracy;
• create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income by enabling their members to combine resources, skills and talents;
• provide their members with effective social protection coverage, where it is no otherwise available;
• strengthen tripartism and social dialogue by giving a voice to those who would otherwise remain unheard.

The Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation (No. 193), which the International Labour Conference adopted in 2002, encourages governments and employer, worker and cooperative organizations to promote cooperatives in ways that include specific policies and legislation, facilitating access to financial and other services, and helping to provide education and training.

Our training courses are designed to help ILO constituents and cooperative organizations to implement Recommendation 193. We run the courses in conjunction with  EMP/COOP, the cooperative programme of the ILO.

Specific subjects include:

• cooperative policy and legislation
• local economic development through cooperatives
• cooperative entrepreneurship.

The following training unit runs courses on cooperative development:

The Enterprise, Microfinance and Local Development Programme