BRASILIA, August 8, 2026 — Brazil has taken a significant step towards recognising the cultural dimension of cooperativism. With the publication of Law No. 15.433/2026, cooperativism is now formally recognised as a manifestation of national culture, acknowledging the historic contribution of cooperatives to Brazil’s social, economic and community development.
The new law highlights the values at the heart of the cooperative model, including mutual assistance, democratic participation, shared responsibility and collective development. It also reinforces the role of the State in supporting and promoting cooperative activities, affirming what cooperators have long demonstrated in practice: cooperation is not merely an economic model, but also a living cultural expression deeply rooted in communities.
The recognition comes at an important moment for the global cooperative movement. Through its Cooperative Cultural Heritage (CCH) project, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is working to identify, safeguard and promote the tangible and intangible heritage of cooperation around the world.
Launched in 2025 during the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, the ICA CCH initiative began with an inaugural list of 32 cooperative heritage sites from 25 countries, presented through a dedicated global map. In 2026, the initiative is expanding its scope by including new sites and exploring intangible cultural elements that reflect cooperative ideas, practices, traditions and governance systems.
The 2026 Cooperative Cultural Heritage listing will be unveiled in Panama during the ICA Global Conference, providing cooperatives with a major opportunity to demonstrate how their heritage contributes to peace, sustainable development and cultural diversity.
Brazil’s new law also builds on an important international precedent. In 2016, UNESCO inscribed the “Idea and practice of organising shared interests in cooperatives” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The recognition affirmed that cooperative practices carry significant social and cultural value across generations.
The UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage provides a legally binding international framework for protecting living heritage. Its importance lies not only in recognition, but also in encouraging States, communities and institutions to identify, document, transmit and safeguard cultural practices that continue to thrive in people’s daily lives.
For cooperatives, this creates an important opportunity to further highlight their contribution to society. From historic buildings and museums to local traditions, democratic practices and community-based economic activities, cooperative heritage demonstrates how people organise collectively to address shared needs.
Brazil’s recognition adds momentum to this global effort, led by the Global Working Group and supported through a joint secretariat comprising the Organização das Cooperativas Brasileiras [OCB], National Cooperative Development Corporation [NCDC] and the ICA Global Office. It also strengthens the case for positioning cooperatives more prominently within cultural policy, sustainable development and heritage agendas.
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