On the 24th June 2015 the Malta Co-operative Federation participated in a seminar and a number of workshops organised by SKOP under the title Post 2015 Development Agenda – How can we take action in Malta?

Mr Rolan Micallef Attard, CEO of the Malta Co-operative Federation coordinated a workshop entitled ‘Co-operatives and their relationship with Sustainable Development Goal 8’.  In the advent of the launch of ‘The Social Enterprise ACT  White Paper‘ which the government of Malta launched on the 26th June 2015, Mr Micallef Attard highlighted the characteristics of social enterprises and mapped these to the International Co-operative Principles and Values of co-operatives.  He also presented a detailed start-up social co-operative enterprise case study to the participants in a way that they could understand how he tackled the process and overcame the challenges faced throughout the whole start-up and hand-holding process.

The Report of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals dated August 2014 adopted by United Nations General Assembly defines SDG 8 as ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ .

Mr Micallef Attard highlighted the relationships between local and international co-operative actions when compared to the specific goals of SDG 8.

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The specific SDG 8 goals are the following:

  1. Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
  2. Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value-added and labour-intensive sectors
  3. Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
  4. Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
  5. By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
  6. By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
  7. Take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, eradicate forced labour and, by 2025, end child labour in all its forms, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers
  8. Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
  9. By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
  10. Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all