ILO participates in the ICA Americas 21st Regional Conference in San José, Costa Rica

An ILO official participated in the conference and presented on the key trends and challenges in the world of work and possible responses by cooperative enterprises.

News | 27 November 2019
Participants at the Conference
The 21st Regional Conference of Cooperatives of the Americas, a regional organization of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), took place in San José, Costa Rica from 18 to 20 November 2019.

It brought together over 600 participants to discuss key trends and challenges in the world of work and how the cooperative movement can better respond to them. This year’s conference focused on three themes: 1) Economic and social development; 2) Cooperatives and the UN 2030 Agenda; and 3) Knowledge economy.

Mr. Alvaro Ramirez at the panel
Mr Alvaro Ramirez participated in a panel on knowledge economy and cooperatives on the 20th of November. He touched upon the rise of individualism and non-traditional labour relations (e.g. workers in digital platforms) in the changing world of work and emphasized that cooperative enterprises became more relevant than ever to counter these trends through collective actions and toward ensuring social justice.

While acknowledging active engagement of cooperatives in emerging sectors of the economy (e.g. digital, green and care), he suggested that cooperatives must attract more millennials and youth and encourage their participation in the development of policies and practices of the cooperative movement. His presentation is available here.