Co-operative Principles and Values - Revisions
ICA has undertaken three reviews of the Co-operative Principles: 1937, 1966 and 1995. These reviews modernised the idea of Co-operation, maintained its relevance and proivide an up-to-date test of whether an organisation qualified to call itself a co-operative. The definition of a co-operative as established in the 1995 Co-operative Principles has been included in a number of policy documents including the United Nations Guidelines, the International Labour Organisation Recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Co-operatives, the European Co-operative Statute and a number of national laws.
Rochdale Principles of Co-operation 1937
- Open Membership
- Democratic Control (One Man, One Vote)
- Distribution of the surplus to the members in proportion to their transactions
- Limited Interest on Capital
- Political and Religious Neutrality
- Cash Trading
- Promotion of Education
Other features of the Rochdale system were also endorsed, but not given the status of Principles. These included:
- trading exclusively with members
- voluntary membership
- sale at current market price
Disagreement arose, however, on the question of "inalienable assets", because of different practices in different ICA member organisations. Finally it was agreed to recommend that co-operatives should make regular allocations to inalienable reserves and seek legislative provision for indivisible collective assets.
The Present Applications of the Rochdale Principles (1937) > > >
Co-operative Principles 1966
- Membership of a co-operative society should be voluntary
and available without artificial restriction or any social,
political or religious discriminations, to all persons who
can make use of its services and are willing to accept the
responsibilities of membership.
- Co-operative societies are democratic organisations. Their
affairs should be administered by persons elected or
appointed in a manner agreed by the members and accountable
to them. Members of primary societies should enjoy equal
rights of voting (one member, one vote) and participation
in decisions affecting their societies. In other than
primary societies the administration should be conducted on
a democratic basis in a suitable form.
- Share capital should only receive a strictly limited rate
of interest, if any.
- Surplus or savings, if any, arising out of the operations
of a society belong to the members of that society and
should be distributed in such manner as would avoid one
member gaining at the expense of others.
This may be done by decision of the members as follows:
(a) By provision for development of the business of the
Co-operative.
(b) By provision of common services; or
(c) By distribution among the members in proportion to
their transactions with the society.
- All co-operative societies should make provision for the
education of their members, officers, and employees and of
the general public, in the principles and techniques of Co-
operation, both economic and democratic.
- All co-operative organisations, in order to best serve the
interests of their members and their communities should
actively co-operate in every practical way with other co-
operatives at local, national and international levels.
Report of the ICA Commission on Co-operative Principles (1966) > > >
Statement on the Co-operative Identity 1995
The current Statement on the Co-operative Identity was adopted at the 1995 Congress and General
Assembly of the International Co-operative Alliance, held in Manchester to celebrate the Alliance's Centenary. Recommended
to the Congress by the ICA Board, the Statement was the product of a lengthy process of consultation involving
thousands of co-operators around the world. The process was chaired by Ian MacPherson of Canada, who prepared numerous
drafts of the Identity Statement and its Background Paper in an effort to understand the state and needs of the
co-operative movement at the end of the twentieth century.
Co-operative Principles for the 21st Century > > >
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