United Nations A/RES/58/131 General Assembly Distr.: General 19 January 2004 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 106 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/497 (Part II))] 58/131. Cooperatives in social development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 47/90 of 16 December 1992, 49/155 of 23 December 1994, 51/58 of 12 December 1996, 54/123 of 17 December 1999 and 56/114 of 19 December 2001, concerning cooperatives in social development, Recognizing that cooperatives, in their various forms, promote the fullest possible participation in the economic and social development of all people, including women, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities, and are becoming a major factor of economic and social development, Recognizing also the important contribution and potential of all forms of cooperatives to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, held at Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995, the Fourth 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 their five-year reviews, the World Food Summit, held at Rome from 13 to 17 November 1996, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, held at Madrid from 8 to 12 April 2002, the International Conference on Financing for Development, held at Monterrey, Mexico, from 18 to 22 March 2002, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held at Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 1 2. Draws the attention of Member States to the proposals contained in the report of the Secretary-General for further action to promote a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives; Also draws the attention of Member States to the revised guidelines 3. aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives, 2 to be considered by them in developing or revising their national policies on cooperatives; _______________ 1 2 03 50244 A/58/159. A/56/73-E/2001/68, annex.