The government of Nepal and Australia have recognised ICA Board members Ms. Om Devi Malla and Mr. Greg Wall, respectively, for outstanding contribution in their countries.
The government of Nepal has honoured Ms. Om Devi Malla, Vice- Chairperson, NCF, and ICA Global Board member with the ‘Su Prabal Janasewa Shree Bibhusan (State Honours)’, for their significant contribution in the promotion and development of the cooperative movement of Nepal. This is a significant milestone for the Nepalese cooperative movement as this is the first time the State Honours have been presented to cooperators. The awards were presented by Rt. Honourable President of Nepal, Ms. Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
The Nepalese cooperative movement has a unique distinction for its active advocacy with government and international bodies to highlight the contribution of cooperatives towards sustainable development goals (SDGs). In Nepal, cooperatives are recognized as the ‘third pillar’ (government and the private sector being the other two) and cooperatives are actively contributing to the economy and in the implementation of the SDGs.
In Australia, the Director and founding Chairman of the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals (BCCM) Mr. Greg Wall, has been recognised for outstanding contribution to Australian public life and awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) award for significant service to business and the community.
Mr. Wall played a vital role in successfully advocating for a cooperative business leader, Dr. Andrew Crane, on the B20 Group appointed by the Prime Minister to advise the G20 Ministers when it was hosted by Australia in November 2014. Among others, he also represented Australia during a trade mission to China in 2015 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding for ‘Coop to Coop’ trade within the Asia Pacific region.
