Panama to host 2026 ICA GA and Global Conference in September
Panama, a country of about 4.5 million people, has a longstanding cooperative tradition. Today, the country hosts 479 cooperatives serving more than 213,000 members, playing a key role in promoting economic inclusion and community development
BRUSSELS, March 10, 2026 — The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] says its 2026 General Assembly [GA] and Global Conference will take place this September in Panama, in partnership with Cooperatives of the Americas.
The event will bring together cooperative leaders, policymakers and practitioners from across the world to discuss the future of the cooperative movement and strengthen global collaboration.
Panama, a country of about 4.5 million people, has a longstanding cooperative tradition. Today, the country hosts 479 cooperatives serving more than 213,000 members, playing a key role in promoting economic inclusion and community development.
The cooperative movement in Panama emerged as a grassroots response to economic disparities that developed during the country’s rapid urban growth following the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. While canal-related trade spurred growth in urban areas, many rural communities lacked access to credit, markets and essential services.
Cooperatives stepped in to bridge this gap, enabling farmers, workers and public employees to pool resources and improve their economic security. Early agricultural cooperatives helped small-scale producers jointly purchase inputs and negotiate better prices for crops such as coffee, rice and dairy.
Savings and credit cooperatives also expanded financial inclusion by providing banking services to teachers, civil servants and low-income households who had limited access to commercial financial institutions.
Cooperative education has also played an important role in the country’s movement. At the University of Panama, courses on cooperativism were introduced with the support of German professors from the Centre for Cooperative Studies at the Institute for Economic Social Studies, helping to strengthen knowledge and awareness of cooperative principles.
Panama has also placed strong emphasis on youth engagement. School cooperatives began emerging in the mid-20th century as student-managed organisations guided by teachers, providing young people with practical experience in entrepreneurship, leadership and collective management.
The sector’s growth was further supported by the establishment of the Instituto Panameño Autónomo Cooperativo [IPACOOP] in 1980. The institution formalised the regulation of cooperatives and promoted cooperative education nationwide.
Today, IPACOOP is one of Panama’s two members of the International Cooperative Alliance, alongside Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples Profesionales, R.L.. The institute continues to register, supervise and promote cooperatives as part of the country’s broader strategy for economic and social development.
Across Panama, cooperatives remain an important tool for inclusive development, particularly in strengthening financial inclusion and building resilient communities in underserved regions.
Organisers say the September gathering will provide an opportunity for the global cooperative movement to exchange ideas, showcase innovations and deepen partnerships while celebrating Panama’s rich cooperative heritage.
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