ILO and partners advance statistical standards for cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy

The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) Technical Working Group on Measuring the Economic Contribution of Cooperatives (TWG MECC)convened on 28 April for its first technical meeting. Olivier Frey, lead author on measuring the economic contribution of cooperatives, presented the rationale for a global measurement framework, emphasizing the need for conceptual clarity, relevant indicators, and a modular methodology adaptable across countries. He emphasized key elements often overlooked in national statistics on cooperatives, such as employment generation and fiscal contributions.

Participants addressed persistent challenges in compile cooperative statistics including data inconsistencies, classification gaps, and the absence of cooperative-specific accounting standards. David Hunter of StatClass Consulting stressed the importance of producing actionable guidance:

“Our main task is to figure out how to measure the economic contribution of cooperatives. Through that, we determine which data points countries should begin to collect.”

The TWG also considered forming a subgroup to explore cooperative accounting standards, acknowledging the limitations of conventional reporting frameworks in capturing the unique aspects of cooperatives.

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