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This document has been made available in electronic format
by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
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February, 1997
(Source: ICA in Asia and the Pacific -Annual Report 1996)

	    Message from the Chairperson of the Regional Assembly
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Under the new presidency of Mr. Graham Melmoth, ICA itself
and its members are entering a new era. Not only are they 
forming to a better identity of themselves but co-operation 
among ICA members, especially in the  Asia and the Pacific 
Region, has greatly improved.

So far the realignment of the relationship between the various 
committees and the Regional Assembly has been given proper 
attention. The process of reformation has also managed to 
convince senior members at the level of the Executive Board 
that more attention and support needs to be given to 
Asia not only because it contains such a substantial 
number of co-operatives in a large number of countries, but also 
because it has the greatest potential for social and economic 
development for the co-operative as well as the non-co-operative 
sectors. It is also realized that this Region deserves a fairer 
share of its financial contribution to the Centre.

In all humility, my advice to fellow co-operators and leaders 
of the Movement in the respective countries of the Region 
is that we should make fewer appeals while we pay positive 
regard to the new Principles so carefully accepted at Manchester 
in 1995.

We should also give equal attention to the expansion of the 
Movement among youths so that a second and third tier of 
leadership can be prepared to take over in the near future.

Let us not forget to acknowledge the efforts contributed by 
all the staff of our Regional office who make our Regional 
Movement at all possible.

Royal Professor Ungku A. Aziz
Chairperson of ICA Regional Assembly for Asia & Pacific