Abstract
The Latin American cooperative law started with the provisions set forth in the commercial codes of Argentina and Mexico, both enacted in 1889, even though they were insufficient and at times inadequate codes. In the period that elapsed between the world wars, specific laws were sanctioned in several countries (Chile, 1925; Argentina, 1926; Colombia, 1931; Ecuador, 1937; Mexico, 1938) that led to the growing development of the cooperative movement and laid the foundations of the subsequent cooperative law. As of World War II, and particularly during the 1950s, cooperative laws were sanctioned in different countries with the technical assistance of the Cooperative Section of the Organization of American States (OAS). In the following decades, there was a significant innovative movement that led the way to the modernization of cooperative laws and the consolidation of cooperative law in the region.
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Notes
- 1.
Uribe Garzón (2002), pp. 343ff.
- 2.
The final documents of these congresses can be found in: I Congreso Continental de Derecho Cooperativo [I Continental Congress of Cooperative Law], Universidad de los Andes, Mérida, 1969; Carta Jurídica de San Juan [Juridical Letter of San Juan], Administración de Fomento Cooperativo, San Juan, 1976; Anales del III Congreso Continental de Derecho Cooperativo [Annals of the III Continental Congress of Cooperative Law], Idelcoop-Intercoop, Buenos Aries, 1987, and Derecho Cooperativo. Tendencias actuales en Latinoamérica y la Comunidad Económica Europea [Cooperative Law. Current Trends in Latin America and the European Economic Community], Antropos, Bogota, 1993.
- 3.
This document was written by Torres et al. (1988).
- 4.
- 5.
Cracogna (2009a), pp. 183ff.
- 6.
The Annex to this Resolution, titled “Guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives” is a valuable guideline handbook about public policy containing different aspects related to cooperative law.
- 7.
It should be pointed out that Recommendation 193 has a broader scope than Recommendation 127 because the latter only includes developing countries, and the former includes all countries and all types of cooperatives. On the other hand, it should be noted that the current Recommendation was approved almost unanimously by government representatives, workers and employers who are members of ILO’s General Assembly. On this topic, see amplius Henrÿ (2013).
- 8.
The “Guidelines for Cooperative Law” were developed by Hagen Henrÿ and were published in Revista de la Cooperación Internacional, N° 2-2001, Buenos Aires, p. 67 ff. A revised and corrected version can be found at: Henrÿ (2007) (the second English edition was published in 2005 and the third revised edition in 2013).
- 9.
- 10.
The Commission was composed of Roxana Sánchez Boza from Costa Rica (Central America and the Caribbean); Belisario Guarín Torres from Colombia (Andean Area) and Dante Cracogna from Argentina (South Cone) who acted as a coordinator with the collaboration of Hagen Henrÿ, Chief of ILO’s Cooperative Branch.
- 11.
International Cooperative Alliance for the Americas (2009). It can also be found in the web-page of the ICA Americas: http://www.aciamericas.coop/Estudios-e-investigaciones-de-ACI.
- 12.
Resolution 56/114 of the United Nations emphasizes that cooperative law “should ensure that cooperatives enjoy real equality with other types of associations and enterprises and not be discriminated against because of their special character” (Annex, point 11).
- 13.
The provisions of this section are in accordance with the contents of the ILO’s Recommendation 193, point 6(a).
- 14.
The problem of the IFRS with regard to the capital of cooperatives has led to several studies and it is still being analyzed by a commission of the ICA, which is working with representatives of the IASB.
- 15.
The ICA Americas has made an important effort to define and disseminate the social balance particularly related to cooperatives and has developed an accreditation system for the social balance.
- 16.
ILO Recommendation 193 notes the significance of performing the supervision based on steps “appropriate to their nature and functions, which respect their autonomy, and are in accordance with national law and practice …” [pt. 6(c)].
- 17.
“Guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives…” (pt. 23).
- 18.
There are several laws that combine all the duties into a single body, for example, the National Cooperative Institute (INCOOP) from Paraguay (Laws 438/94 and 2157/03), which even exercises the supervision of credit cooperatives, and the Institute of social Economy (INAES) from Argentina (Law 20337).
- 19.
Item 8.1.b of Recommendation 193 states that national policies must “ensure that cooperatives are not set up for, or used for, non-compliance with labor law or used to establish disguised employment relationships, and combat pseudo cooperatives violating workers’ rights, by ensuring that labor legislation is applied in all enterprises.”
- 20.
- 21.
The Latin American Parliament has no legislative powers, but it can make recommendations to the parliaments of the region.
- 22.
Special mention can be made of Law 79/88 from Colombia, the General Law of Cooperatives from Peru (Decreto Supremo 074/90), the Law on Cooperatives N° 438/94 from Paraguay, the General Law on Cooperative Societies of 1994 from Mexico, the Law on Cooperatives N° 50/994 from Puerto Rico, the Special Law on Cooperatives N° 17/1997 from Panama, the Special Law on Cooperative Associations (Decreto 1440/2001) from Venezuela, the Law on Cooperatives 499/2004 from Nicaragua, and the General Law on Cooperatives N° 18407/08 from Uruguay. These laws can be found at http://www.aciamericas.coop/-Legislacion-Cooperativa-en-las-45-.
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Cracogna, D. (2013). The Framework Law for the Cooperatives in Latin America. In: Cracogna, D., Fici, A., Henrÿ, H. (eds) International Handbook of Cooperative Law. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30129-2_6
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