The Assembly of the Haliéus Association, Legacoop's system structure for International Development Cooperation, met on July 17. The new association structure includes, to date, the presence of Legacoop, the regional structures of Emilia Romagna, Puglia and Veneto and the sectorial structures Legacoop Agroalimentare, Legacoopsociali, and Ancc-Coop (National Association of Consumer Cooperatives). The structure is also strengthened by the presence of important Supporters such as Fairtrade Italia, 4FORM and AITR (Italian Association of Responsible Tourism) and the support of Coopfond, Legacoop's partner in relaunching the commitment of the cooperative movement towards International Cooperation.
The mission of Haliéus is to contribute to international sustainable development through the promotion of cooperative enterprise as a tool to trigger economic and social development processes. Fighting poverty, supporting self-entrepreneurship and the development of disadvantaged groups, promoting inclusive forms of entrepreneurship and supporting innovation are among the priorities of Haliéus' action.
The Assembly elected the Board of Directors composed of the following colleagues on the recommendation of their respective associations and structures: Valentina Battista (Legacoop Puglia), Diego Dutto (Legacoopsociali), Elena Ghezzi (Legacoop Agroalimentare), Francesca Ottolenghi (Legacoop), Paolo Pastore (Legacoop Veneto), Roberta Trovarelli (Legacoop Emilia Romagna) and Luca Bernareggi (ANCC-COOP) who was appointed president.
"Halièus will represent an opportunity to promote cooperative principles in the world, enhancing at international level the heritage of skills, experience and professionalism of the Legacoop system. I am sure that the contribution of all the members of the new association will be a strong point on which to leverage to face global challenges, starting from the United Nations Agenda 2030" are the first statements of the new president Luca Bernareggi.
The Association, which was founded in 2005 on the initiative of the Legacoop fish cooperatives, is now able to carry out international cooperation in all economic sectors in which the cooperative movement is active. Its initiatives have been supported by the major national and international institutions such as the European Union, United Nations Agencies and international organizations.
"In these 15 years of activity we have built a global network of partnerships, starting from the international cooperative movement - present in over 100 countries around the world - and then involving ministries, local authorities, universities and civil society organizations of partner countries. To this end, the Association works in full synergy with Legacoop's International Relations and European Policy Office," says Francesca Ottolenghi, reconfirmed Director of Haliéus.
Rome 19 July 2019
