ICA Brings Global Cooperative Law Experts Together to Examine Cooperative Identity

PULA, September 4, 2026 — The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] has brought together cooperative lawyers, researchers, practitioners and movement leaders for a two-day workshop examining how cooperative identity is reflected in law, public policy and institutional practice.

The Workshop on Cooperative Law and Public Policy was held recently in Pula, Croatia under the ICA’s Financial Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Union [#coops4dev]. It followed a meeting of the ICA Cooperative Identity Advisory Group and preceded the third edition of the ICA–Saint Mary’s University Cooperative Law Summer School.

The workshop focused on how cooperative principles are implemented through legislation and public policy across different jurisdictions. Participants also examined contemporary legal and institutional challenges facing cooperatives.

A key objective was to identify themes, concepts and legal questions that could inform a future international commentary on cooperative law. The proposed commentary would build on the ICA’s ongoing comparative Legal Framework Analysis [LFA] of national cooperative legislation and the ICA’s 2015 Guidance Notes on the Cooperative Principles.

Participants also revisited issues identified in the Guidance Notes for future consideration, examining how they should be understood in light of developments in legislation, cooperative practice and public policy.

The first day opened with presentations from ICA regional offices on the status of the LFA. Blase Lambert, representing Cooperative Housing International on the ICA Board, presented research on the international legal framework for cooperative housing.

A panel moderated by Alexandra Wilson examined cooperative identity in the housing sector, with contributions from Goran Jeras, Isaac Nyamongo, Ian Adderley, Andreea Nacu, Thomas Beckett and Mathias Fiedler.

Discussions then turned to the possible foundations of international cooperative law. Dante Cracogna, Hagen Henry, Jean-Louis Bancel, Cynthia Giagnocavo, Ifigeneia Douvitsa and Santosh Kumar shared perspectives informed by the Principles of European Cooperative Law and other international cooperative law frameworks.

ICA regional representatives also provided updates on implementation of the LFA. Speakers included Annalisa Vallone and Paola Rosatelli of Cooperatives Europe, Melvin Khabenje of ICA Africa, Paula Arzadun of Cooperativas de las Americas and Naveen Singh of ICA Asia and Pacific.

On the second day, Giuseppe Guerini, ICA Vice-President and President of Cooperatives Europe, opened the substantive discussions with reflections on leadership and its relationship with cooperative identity.

Joseph Njuguna of the ICA presented the status and future strategy of the cooperative movement in relation to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs].

The workshop also featured an international perspective from the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), which presented its ongoing work and the draft UNIDROIT/FAO/IFAD Legal Guide on Collaborative Legal Structures for Agricultural Enterprises.

The draft guide examines cooperatives alongside companies and multiparty contractual structures, covering issues including formation, governance, decision-making, liability, exit and dissolution.

Participants said the presentation highlighted the need for the ICA’s future commentary to take account of relevant work by international organisations and to place national cooperative legislation within a broader comparative legal context.

Participants subsequently worked in groups on three clusters of issues: sustainable development and Principle 7; cooperative acts, member economic participation, autonomy and independence under Principles 3 and 4; and openness, voluntarism, education, training and information under Principles 1 and 5.

The workshop’s discussions were summarised by Cynthia Giagnocavo and Ifigeneia Douvitsa. Nimmi Langer also made a special presentation on “Happiness and Cooperative Law”.

The workshop concluded with remarks from Jean-Louis Bancel and Hagen Henry, who co-convened the event.

The discussions in Pula are expected to contribute to the ICA’s broader work on comparative cooperative law by examining how cooperative principles are given legal meaning in different jurisdictions.

The initiative will also seek to identify areas where national approaches converge or diverge and determine whether recurring legal concepts can be developed into principles of international cooperative law.

https://thecooperator.news/deadline-extended-for-cooperative-law-congress-paper-submissions/

Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news