潘基文年國際合作社日致辭
Message on the International Day of Cooperatives
國際合作社日致辭
2 July 2016
2016年7月2日
Cooperative endeavour is about empowerment, inclusion and sustainability. It is designed to uphold the principles of equality and democratic participation. It embodies the principle of the Sustainable Development Goals that no-one should be left behind.
合作社運動致力於提高權能、促進包容、增強可持續性。其宗旨是實現平等和民主參與的原則。它體現了可持續發展目標所秉持的“不讓任何一個人掉隊”的原則。
Cooperatives play an important role in many societies. The United Nations estimates that one person in every six is either a member or a client of a cooperative. Worldwide, some 2.6 million cooperatives employ 12.6 million people. Their assets are worth about US$20 trillion and they generate about US$3 trillion in annual revenue.
合作社在許多國家發揮重要的社會作用。據聯合國估計，每6人中便有1人是合作社的成員或客戶。全世界大約有260萬個合作社，僱用人數達1260萬。其資產值約計20萬億美元，年收入約達3萬億美元。
Like the SDGs themselves, cooperatives are people-centred. Owned and run by their members, cooperatives are strongly committed to the communities they serve. Agricultural cooperatives help to improve the productivity of small producers by facilitating access to markets, credit, insurance and technology. Social cooperatives can provide an important safety net in the face of declining or minimal public welfare.
合作社與可持續發展目標一樣，也是以人爲本。合作社由成員擁有和經營，堅定致力於爲所服務羣體作出貢獻。農業合作社協助小生產者拓展市場，獲取信貸、保險、技術，從而增強生產力。在公共福利下降或嚴重不足的情況下，社會合作社可提供重要的安全網。
In the financial sector, cooperatives serve more than 857 million people, including tens of millions of people who live in poverty. Since the 2007-2008 global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives have proven their strength and value. They have maintained good credit ratings, increased their assets and turnover, and experienced growth in membership and customer base.
金融部門合作社的服務對象超過8.57億人，其中包括數千萬窮人。自2007—2008年全球金融和經濟危機發生以來，金融合作社的實力和價值已得到證明。它們的信用評級保持良好，資產和營業額有所上升，成員和客戶人數有所增加。
With their offer of economic, social and environmental resilience, the potential contribution of cooperatives to sustainable development is clear. This year, we celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives under the theme: “Cooperatives: The power to act for a sustainable future”. We believe cooperatives can make significant contributions to the SDGs on employment, poverty, hunger, and equality.
鑑於合作社能增強經濟、社會、環境方面的應變力，其爲可持續發展作出貢獻的潛力是顯而易見的。我們今年慶祝國際合作社日活動的主題是：“合作社：建設可持續未來的生力軍”。我們相信，合作社能夠爲實現解決就業、貧窮、飢餓、平等這些問題的可持續發展目標做出重大貢獻。
On this International Day of Cooperatives, I urge Governments to create an enabling environment for cooperatives to thrive and grow. Let us harness the power of cooperatives to achieve the SDGs and create a world of dignity and opportunity for all.
值此國際合作社日，我敦促各國政府創造有利於合作社蓬勃發展的環境。讓我們藉助合作社這支生力軍，爲實現可持續發展目標、創建人人都有尊嚴和機會的世界而奮鬥。
