A/RES/54/123 Page 2 World Conference on Women, held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held at Istanbul, Turkey, from 3 to 14 June 1996, and the World Food Summit, held at Rome from 13 to 17 November 1996, including their five-year reviews, 1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the status and role of cooperatives in the light of new economic and social trends;1 2. Welcomes the elaboration of the draft guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives;2 3. Requests the Secretary-General to seek views from Governments on the draft guidelines and provide, if necessary, a revised version for adoption; 4. Urges Governments, relevant international organizations and specialized agencies, in collaboration with national and international cooperative organizations, to give due consideration to the role and contribution of cooperatives in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women, the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the World Food Summit, including their five-year reviews, by, inter alia: (a) Utilizing and developing fully the potential and contribution of cooperatives for the attainment of social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty, the generation of full and productive employment and the enhancement of social integration; (b) Encouraging and facilitating the establishment and development of cooperatives, including taking measures aimed at enabling people living in poverty or belonging to vulnerable groups to engage on a voluntary basis in the creation and development of cooperatives; (c) Taking appropriate measures aimed at creating a supportive and enabling environment for the development of cooperatives by, inter alia, developing an effective partnership between Governments and the cooperative movement; 5. Invites Governments, relevant international organizations, specialized agencies and local, national and international cooperative organizations to continue to observe the International Day of Cooperatives annually, on the first Saturday of July, as proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/90; 6. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the relevant United Nations and other international organizations, to render support to Member States, as appropriate, in their efforts to create a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives, including through the organization of workshops and seminars at the national, subregional and regional levels; 7. Also requests the Secretary-General to prepare, in consultation with Member States and the relevant United Nations organizations and international organizations, a report on the implementation of the present 2 Ibid., annex. /...