COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT POLICY CURAÇAO 2020-2025

In the industrialized world, economic development revolves around three pillars: traditional private enterprise, the public sector, and collective enterprise. Cooperatives are the most common type of collective enterprise. Cooperatives, which differ from individual enterprises, provide an original form of entrepreneurship that is rooted in the strength and collective interest of a group. However, cooperative entrepreneurship and individual entrepreneurship complement each other, because they focus on specific customers and often address different needs.

Following working methods based on participation, cooperatives stimulate and encourage collective efforts. They are primarily an association of individuals who are people-oriented and deeply rooted within their communities. The different types of cooperatives generate specific economic benefits in areas where they are active. All cooperatives feature an economic and social dimension; however, some are more focused on social missions, such as housing and home care. These companies make a direct contribution to quality of life by providing the public with essential basic services. Cooperatives are deeply rooted in their communities and are inextricably linked to local development.

This Cooperative Development Policy’s (CDP) predominant goal is to reaffirm the distinctive character of cooperatives in the light of the economic and social challenges facing Curaçao. This policy is also in line with the recommendations of the International Labor Organization (ILO), as issued in June 2002, in which cooperatives are supported. The ILO suggested that governments “should provide a supportive policy and legal framework consistent with the nature and function of cooperatives and guided by the cooperative values and principles set out by the International Cooperative Alliance” (Recommendation 193, ILO 2002).

This Cooperative Development Policy is the first such undertaking in the history of the Curaçao cooperative movement. In addition to proposing new approaches and identifying the financial resources necessary for their implementation, support measures are also introduced that are specifically adapted to the cooperative environment. By acknowledging that cooperatives can play a central role in the economy and tackle specific problems, the new policy guarantees the harmonious development of cooperatives in Curaçao.

 

 

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Cooperative Development Policy 2020-2025