KUALA LUMPUR, Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA) has described the Jordan Declaration as a vital step towards strengthening cooperation between the government and cooperatives to develop an inclusive and sustainable cooperative economy. ANGKASA president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah, also the ASEAN Cooperative Organisation (ACO) president, said the declaration tabled at the 11th Asia Pacific Cooperative Ministers' Conference clarified the commitment of the Ministers helming the cooperative sector in the Asia Pacific region to hold constructive dialogues between government bodies and cooperatives. They include enhancing policies supporting cooperative movements and raising awareness about cooperative business models and their values. "These initiatives are in line with the role of ANGKASA as the apex body of the national cooperative movement recognised by the government to increase contributions and strengthen the sustainability of the cooperative movement in Malaysia,' he said i n a statement today. The conference, held on April 28-30 at the Dead Sea, Jordan, was attended by a 15-member Malaysian delegation, including ANGKASA and led by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick. The important contents of the declaration include strengthening policies, legal frameworks and strategies that support the cooperative movement and facilitate integration into the national development plan. The declaration also recognised cooperatives as an effective platform for achieving national growth that is inclusive and sustainable in line with the agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030. Abdul Fattah also described Ewon's decision to support the Jordan Declaration as a positive measure that supports the continuity and growth of cooperatives in the country. This aligns with the objectives of the Malaysia Cooperative Policy (DaKoM) 2030, which focuses on economic development through cooperative platforms and providing a more cooperative-friendly ecosystem, h e said. He said the declaration would also be implemented among cooperatives under the auspices of the ACO, whereby it can encourage regional and international collaboration among governments, cooperatives and other stakeholders. He added that it is also aimed at sharing the best practices, exchanging knowledge and experience and fostering an environment that will enable the durability and growth of cooperatives in ASEAN to be intensified for the benefit of members and the community. "This effort is also being carried out as one of ANGKASA's commitments to expand trade networks and increase the visibility of Malaysian cooperative products and services at the ASEAN regional level and, thus, contribute to increasing the income of cooperatives in the country,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency