Dear Members of the Japan Joint Committee of Co-operatives,

It is my great pleasure to congratulate you on the establishment of the apex organization called "Japan Co-operative Alliance" (JCA). You took an important step by reorganizing the Japan Joint Committee of Co-operatives into such an organization. This constitutes a truly historic occasion for the Japanese cooperative movement.

Now is also a significant moment at the United Nations. The Member States of the United Nations have now embarked on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for all countries and everyone. The United Nations recognizes that cooperative enterprises make significant contributions towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a sustainable, inclusive and responsible way.

Japanese cooperatives have a long history of engagement in communities, by, for instance, creating decent work opportunities for people in disadvantaged positions, re-building communities in the aftermath of natural disasters, improving resilience of people and communities, and promoting the spirit of solidarity and cooperation. I am confident that the formation of the JCA will help further strengthen cooperatives and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs in Japan.

I congratulate you and salute you for your important contribution to social and economic development.

We look forward to continued cooperation with Japanese cooperatives through the new JCA in the future.

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the International Co-operative Alliance, we welcome the birth of the Japan Co-operative Alliance – JCA.

Apex organisations are privileged interlocutors with national and local institutions, likewise with the media and other authorities. They play a very important role in promoting the co-operative approach for economic growth, for reducing social inequality and for sustainable development.

We believe that Apex organisations are the best way of showing how co-operative sectors can leverage their complementarity nature to unite their voices.

Thanks to the interactions and knowledge sharing between different co-operative sectors, Apex organisations have a global vision of the national co-operative movement. Not only are they required to identify and to anticipate challenges and issues, they must also address them in establishing commitments and specific strategies.

In addition, a new co-operative organisation also creates new ambitions, visions and strengths. It forces co-operators to assume new roles, to come up with bold, innovative, pioneering ideas always oriented to serve the members and the common interest.

The creation of a new co-operative organisation is an exceptional adventure. Be sure that the International Co-operative Alliance will support you in this extraordinary challenge.

We congratulate all the parties of JCA and wish them good luck in this major undertaking.

Congratulatory Message on the Japan Co-operative Alliance Inauguration

On behalf of the ILO and its Office for Japan，I would like to convey my sincere congratulations on the inauguration of the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA).

Today，although the global economic perspectives are turning positive，decent work deficits remain widespread，and persistent poverty and inequality still continue. In addition，the world of work is undergoing major changes because of numerous emerging forces such as rapid technological innovations，drastic demographic changes，growing impact of climate change and accelerating globalization，to name a few.

Since its creation in 1919，the ILO has recognized the relevance of cooperatives as people-centred，principles driven，member owned in pursuing its mandate to achieve social justice and full employment. Facing the recent challenges and changes，in close collaboration with various partners including cooperatives，the ILO is tackling seven centennial initiatives such as "Future of Work" to mark its 100-year anniversary in 2019. In this process，the ILO is indeed rediscovering the importance and potential of cooperatives as a viable alternative to complement and support existing business model toward achieving "Decent Work for All" which is the critical component of Goal8 of SDGs as well as realising social inclusion.

Through the joint ILO-JCCU African Cooperative Leaders Study Tour Programme，ILO has been collaborating broadly with various players of the Japanese cooperative movement since 2010，and it will be our great pleasure and honour to also work closely with the newly established JCA.

We look forward to cooperating with JCA to realise social justice，decent work for all as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for many years to come.