Australian co-operatives will have a role to play in communicating business priorities to the Group of 20 (G20) member states.
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony John Abbott, asked Dr Andrew Crane, the Chief Executive of CBH Group to join the Australian Business 20 (B20) committee.
A member of the International Co-operative Alliance, CBH Group is one of Australia’s leading grain organisations, a co-operative based in Western Australia, owned and controlled by 4,500 grain growers.
Honoured by the invitation to join the B20, Dr Crane said that as members of the B20 Australia they will lead business engagement and co-ordinate the communication of international business priorities to the G20.
“It is important that the agriculture, agri-business and co-operatives have a voice in this discussion. We have a key role to play in advising governments on priorities for our sector,” he said.
Throughout the Summit, the B20 working groups are able to present their priorities and share ideas with the G20 government representatives, in order to include their recommendations in the G20 conclusions.
“We have a great opportunity to focus government to government discussion on topics that support trade, engagement and industry growth through advising the G20,” said Dr Crane, who is also chair of the apex body, the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals.
Dame Pauline Green, President of the Alliance, also welcomed the appointment of Andrew Crane within the B20. “This B20 success is hugely important for the Alliance as it is a key strand of our advocacy work outlined in the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade, which sets out the strategy for the movement until the end of this decade and beyond," said Dame Pauline.
“If, as the Blueprint demands, we are to grow the worldwide movement in the coming years, our challenge now is to ensure that when the B20 meets in Brisbane in November 2014, Andrew Crane is not alone in making sure that the co-operative difference is understood and valued.”
She added that the Alliance would be working with Capricorn and other Australian co-operatives to make sure the B20 meeting “breaks the mould in recognising the diversity of businesses in the global economy”.
Membership of G20 comprises of 19 countries plus the European Union. G20 leaders meet annually to discuss ways to strengthen the global economy, reform international financial institutions, improve financial regulation and discuss key economic reforms needed in each member states. The meeting will focus mainly on four key issues of financing growth, human capital, infrastructure and investment and trade.
