A pivotal moment for cooperative societies in Africa was underscored during a recent collaboration between the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the International Cooperative Alliance-Africa (ICA-Africa). This partnership convened in Maseru, Lesotho, with the objective of fine-tuning the draft Model Law on Cooperative Societies for Africa. Their goal was to integrate feedback from various stakeholders to ensure the legislation aligns with the needs and hopes of the African populace. The enhanced draft is slated for review by the PAP Committee on Finance and Monetary Affairs.
The journey of crafting this draft model law began with its introduction at the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of PAP in June 2023. It was established that the draft required further refinement, leading to its initial reading and the decision to proceed to a second review.
In an effort to perfect the draft, a consultative gathering was held in Nairobi, from August 29-30, 2023. The meeting brought together diverse stakeholders who critically examined the proposed draft, offering essential feedback to broaden its scope and relevance.
Throughout the Nairobi consultation, comprehensive discussions covered every aspect of the draft Model Law. The gathering yielded numerous constructive suggestions and feedback, which were recorded for future integration into the draft. This meeting led to the creation of a Technical Working Group tasked with the thorough review and finalization of the draft legislation.
This group aims to weave in the feedback from stakeholders, further refining the draft before its approval by the PAP Committee on Financial and Monetary Affairs. Following this, the finalized draft will be submitted to the PAP Plenary for consideration.
These collaborative efforts demonstrate a unified commitment between PAP and ICA-Africa, along with other key participants, in promoting the empowerment of cooperative societies. The initiative fosters inclusive growth and aims to develop legal frameworks that are progressive and customized to the distinctive needs of the African context.
A significant endeavor by the International Cooperative Alliance-Africa, in partnership with The Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Social and Solidarity Economy, and the Office of Cooperation Development (ODCO), was the successful execution of the second CoopStar Workshop in Rabat from May 26 to 28, 2024. This workshop, which is part of the CoopStar initiative, aims to steer the African cooperative movement towards a sustainable, green, and circular economy, in line with the UN Agenda 2030.
Supported by entities such as the International Cooperative Alliance, the International Labor Organization, the Korean Federation of Community Credit Unions (KFCC), Cera/BRS, and KU Leuven, the initiative focuses on empowering cooperatives in Africa. Following an initial workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2023, which convened experts from 17 African countries to lay a foundation for a forthcoming book on cooperatives’ role in a sustainable economy’s transition, this event concentrated on concluding the book chapters. The workshop aimed at discovering new strategies, sharing effective practices, and establishing enduring networks for the cooperative movement’s development across the continent.
