Preparing for Panama: explore the programme and meet the first speakers
The conference, themed "Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World", will take place on September 16-17 and feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and workshops centred on strengthening the global cooperative movement
BRUSSELS, July 11, 2026 — The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] and Cooperatives of the Americas will convene their General Assemblies and joint Global Conference in Panama in September, bringing together cooperative leaders, policymakers and development experts to discuss the role of cooperatives in promoting peace and sustainable development.
The conference, themed “Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World”, will take place on September 16-17 and feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and workshops centred on strengthening the global cooperative movement.
Panama’s President, José Raul Mulino Quintero, will officially welcome delegates alongside Erika Vargas, Executive Director of Panama’s Institute for the Promotion of Cooperatives [IPACOOP], and José Alves de Souza Neto, President of Cooperatives of the Americas. Other senior officials from the host country and international cooperative leaders are also expected to address the gathering.
Panel discussions will examine the contribution of cooperatives to peace and multilateral cooperation, as well as the future direction of the global cooperative movement. The sessions include The Cooperative Path to Peaceful Multilateralism and Local Roots to Global Impact.
Among the confirmed panellists are Sabelo Mbokazi, Head of Labour, Employment and Migration at the African Union Commission; María Ortiz Pérez, Executive Director for Leadership Initiatives at the Aspen Institute in Mexico; and Donna Dizon of CLIMBS Cooperative in the Philippines.
Workshops will focus on the three pillars of the ICA’s 2026-2030 Strategy — Practice, Promote and Protect — covering sustainable cooperative development, democratic governance, cooperative identity and the movement’s contribution to peaceful multilateralism.
Confirmed workshop speakers include Bibiana Aido of UN Women in Panama, Ana Aguirre Uriz of the Directorate for Open Government and Good Governance in Spain’s Basque Country, Harsh Sanghani, President of the ICA Youth Committee, Sarah Alldred of the Fund for International Cooperative Development in the United Kingdom, David Fernández Puyana of the University for Peace to the United Nations, and Akkanut Wantanasombut of Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Asian Studies.
Participants are expected to contribute recommendations towards a final declaration to be adopted at the close of the conference.
Marc Noel, the ICA’s conference programme lead, said the event would provide an opportunity for cooperative leaders, practitioners and partners from around the world to exchange experiences and identify practical ways of strengthening cooperation in response to growing global conflicts.
Further announcements on speakers and the conference programme are expected in the coming weeks.
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