International Day of Co-operatives

85th ICA International Day of Co-operatives th UN International Day of Cooperatives 137 July 2007 !¡ãCo-operative Values and Principles fr Corporate Social Responsibility!¡À The theme for this year!¡¥s Internationl Day of Co-operatives on 7 July is !Co-operative Values and Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility!¡À. It celebrates the contribution cooperators have and continue to make as responsible corporate citizens in co-operatives throughout the world. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seeks to address the issue of how businesses can better society through responsible behaviour, transparent reporting and accountability, stakeholder engagement, innovation and governance. While there is no universally agreed definition of CSR, it is generally understood to encompass voluntary actions that go beyond legal obligations in the areas of: community development; environmental protection; human and labour rights. CSR is not a new discovery for co-operatives. Since their inception they have realised that their actions affect a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, the community and environment in which they operate. In many ways, the co-operative movement has been the pioneer in the development and practice of CSR.