The International Summit of Co-operatives is the world’s leading event for business development in the co-operative and mutual community.   It is being held later this year in Quebec City, October 11-13 2016.

It offers managers, decision-makers and leaders of cooperative and mutual enterprises of all size and in all sectors, as well as anyone in the world of business, a unique venue for reflection, discussion, cooperation and training on major trends, as well as on current and future economic and financial issues.

The Summit aims to promote and foster the development of co-operative enterprises in all countries. The event attracts more than 3,000 participants from 93 countries.

The Nobel Prize winner and acclaimed economist Joseph Stiglitz has been announced as the keynote speaker at this year’s Summit. Also announced as speakers at the Summit are Mark R. Kramer, FSG co-founder and shared value advocate, and Robert Reich, influential economist and former Secretary of Labor under U.S. President Bill Clinton.

For more information on the Summit, visit the website.

Mutuo is working in a number of jurisdictions to help co-operative and mutual businesses to access new sources of capital.

The UK Parliament approved the Mutuals’ Deferred Shares Act in 2015 and we continue to work with Government and regulators to ensure these new powers are implemented in a way that is of maximum use to mutuals.

Recently Mutuo Managing Partner, Peter Hunt, set out how we worked to change UK law: The Capital Conundrum for Cooperatives (see Chapter 6.)

In many parts of the world co-operatives and mutuals face the same legislative impediments to capital raising as was the case in the UK.

We are working with colleagues from Australia’s Business Council for Co-operatives and Mutuals to influence similar changes in Australian law.  Last month the Australian Senate’s Economic References Committee recommended a series of reforms aimed at creating a better environment for co-operatives and mutuals.  Importantly the Committee recommended amending the Australian Corporations Act to permit co-operatives and mutuals to access a broader range of capital raising opportunities.  The Senate’s full report can be viewed here.

Mutuo will work with our Australian colleagues throughout this year to help build this case for legislative change.

If mutuals and co-operatives are to work in an environment where they can truly compete, then similar kinds of reforms will need to be considered by governments in other countries.

Mutuo has completed the first phase of its European mutuals project entitled ‘The People’s Business.’ Working closely with our project partner, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies [FEPS], the project aims to demonstrate how cooperatives and mutuals can contribute to the future of the European economy and society.

The objective for meeting was to discuss with the attendees the role of coops in facing current economic and social challenges.

Interestingly through the discussions and presentations what became apparent is, rather than looking at the different sectors for our analysis it is interesting to consider the coops in their different forms of purpose i.e. as producers, consumers, trade and industry, residents, energy consumers or as banking and financial services for example. This then gives a good point of departure for our research. Read more The People’s business: Berlin symposium summary, 28th October 2015 ›

Mutuo has joined the Foundation for European Progressive Studies [FEPS] and entered a new project partnership, which will show how cooperatives and mutuals can contribute to the future of European economy and society.
Read more Mutuo joins FEPS Europe; commences new European mutual project ›

The emerging proposals at the Co-operative Group seem to have moved significantly beyond the proposals put forward in the Myners report, and if they are building support with members’ representatives through a process of constructive dialogue, then this is an enormous step forward. Read more A way forward for the Co-operative Group? ›