A UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/RES/51/58 28 January 1997 Fifty-first session Agenda item 100 RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [on the report of the Third Committee (A/51/609)] 51/58. The role of cooperatives in the light of new economic and social trends The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 47/90 of 16 December 1992 and 49/155 of 23 December 1994, Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on the status and role of cooperatives in the light of new economic and social trends,1 Recognizing that cooperatives in their various forms are becoming a major factor of economic and social development by promoting the fullest possible participation in the development process of women and all population groups, including youth, older persons and people with disabilities, and are increasingly providing an effective and affordable mechanism for meeting people's needs for basic social services, 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 1995,2 the Fourth World Conference on Women, held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 19953 and the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held at Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996,4 1 A/51/267. 2 See A/CONF.166/9. 3 See A/CONF.177/20 and Add.1. 4 See A/CONF.165/14. 97-76267 /...