Promoting Cooperatives: An information guide to ILO Recommendation No. 193

This guide explains the International Labour Organization’s Recommendation No. 193 on the Promotion of Cooperatives, the only internationally agreed policy framework dedicated specifically to cooperative enterprise.

First adopted in 2002 and subsequently updated, Recommendation No. 193 provides guidance to governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations on creating enabling legal and policy environments for cooperative development.

Report at a glance

• Publisher: International Labour Organization 

• Year: Revised edition (2014) 

• Focus: Cooperative policy and enabling environments 

• Geographic scope: Global 

• Format: PDF guide 

• Audience: Governments, policymakers, cooperative organisations 

Why this report matters

ILO Recommendation No. 193 remains the foundational international reference point for cooperative policy and legislation. It has been used by countries around the world to inform cooperative law reform and policy development across sectors.

For New Zealand audiences, the guide provides authoritative international context on how cooperatives are recognised within labour, economic, and social development frameworks globally.

Key themes covered

• What cooperatives are and why they matter

• The role of governments in enabling cooperative development

• Cooperative identity, autonomy, and democratic governance

• Labour standards and decent work

• Policy guidance for sustainable cooperative growth

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