BRUSSELS, August 13, 2026 — Six new speakers have been added to the programme for the 2026 International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] Global Conference, which will be held in Panama next month under the theme Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World.
Among the newly announced speakers is Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UNDESA], who will deliver a keynote address. Sandkjær brings nearly three decades of experience in policymaking and international development.
Silke Staab, Regional Policy Adviser on Women’s Economic Empowerment at the UN Women Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, will also participate. Her areas of expertise include gender equality, social protection, care policies and inclusive economic development.
Akram Al-Taher, Director-General of the Economic and Social Development Center of Palestine [ESDC], is expected to draw on 25 years of experience in cooperative development and livelihood improvement in Palestinian communities.
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will bring expertise in economic development, globalisation, labour, inequality, gender and macroeconomic policy.
The ICA will also be represented across various conference sessions by Xiomara Núñez de Céspedes, recently re-elected President of the ICA Gender Equality Committee and a member of the ICA Global Board. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of COOPROENF in the Dominican Republic.
Helena Gorroño, Vice-President for Europe of the ICA Youth Committee and Project Development Coordinator at TAZEBAEZ in Spain, is the sixth newly announced speaker.
The ICA said more speakers will be announced ahead of the conference.
The 2026 ICA Global Conference will focus on the contribution of cooperatives to peace, inclusion and sustainable development.
Further information on the speakers and conference registration is available on the ICA Global Conference speakers page.
https://thecooperator.news/preparing-for-panama-explore-the-programme-and-meet-the-first-speakers/
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