Global event

An opportunity for ICA members to connect with and get to know the candidates

ICA members come together to elect the new Global Board and President and shape the future leadership of the cooperative movement
Contact persons: Ariel Guarco (Host) · Blase Lambert (Chair of the Elections Committee) · Jeroen Douglas (Event coordination) · Gretchen Hacquard (Electoral matters)

The Masters of Ceremonies welcome participants to the first day of the Global Cooperative Conference and set the stage for the programme ahead

Participants are kindly requested to be seated by 9:00 a.m.

Leaders from Panama, the international cooperative movement and the United Nations come together to officially open the Conference and set the stage for "Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World"

Speakers:
- H.E. José Raúl Mulino Quintero (Panama): President of the Republic of Panama
- Rolando González Patricio (Cuba): President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino)
- Ana Graça (Portugal): United Nations Resident Coordinator in Panama
- Erika Vargas (Panama): Executive Director of IPACOOP
- Newly Elected President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)
- José Alves de Souza Neto (Brazil): President of Cooperatives of the Americas

Opportunity for initial networking and informal exchange among global delegates

An inspirational session led by Bjørg Sandkjær (Norway), Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) of the United Nations, focusing on human rights, peace, leadership, and the intersection of social values and public policy

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Online Address: A special online address by Michelle Bachelet (Chile), former President of Chile, former Executive Director of UN Women, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Launch of a series of policy briefs highlighting cooperative contributions to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening the cooperative movement’s role as a key partner in their implementation

Speaker: Jeroen Douglas (Netherlands), Director General of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)

How can cooperation help build a more peaceful and inclusive multilateral system? This panel explores the role of cooperatives in strengthening governance, economic integration and enabling legal environments for peace and sustainable development

Speakers:

- Mario Lubetkin (Uruguay): Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay and President of the G77
- Matteo Fontana (Italy): Ambassador to the European Union, EU Delegation to Panama
- Shobha Shetty (India): Senior Adviser, Agriculture, World Bank Group, and Head of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)
- Dr. Sabelo Mbokazi (South Africa): Head of Labour, Employment & Migration, African Union Commission

Discussant: Hagen Henrÿ (Germany), Chair of the ICA Cooperative Law Committee

Moderator: Danilo Salerno (Italy)

Rapporteur: Joseph Njuguna (Kenya)

Mid-day networking session over lunch

A curated showcase of local culture accompanied by a coffee station to facilitate continued delegate interaction

Parallel technical sessions using case studies and group work to provide inputs for the final declaration

Join any of our 3 interactive and participatory spaces to generate practical insights aligned with the ICA Strategy 2026–2030 pillars

...across Generations: Youth, Women and Global Cooperative Leaders Advancing the PRACTICE Pillar (contact person: Ingrid Colanero)

...through Communication and Advocacy: From Visibility to Influence Advancing the PROMOTE Pillar (contact persons: Leire Luengo and Joseph Njuguna)

…with and Beyond Norms: Ensuring Cooperative Identity Remains Relevant, Resilient and Resonant —co-designing the PROTECT Pillar (contact person: Santosh Kumar)

Coffee gathering with an artistic presentation/performance

Welcome to the second day of the Global Cooperative Conference by the Masters of Ceremony

Participants are kindly requested to be seated by 8:55 a.m.

Special address by the newly elected President of the International Cooperative Alliance

Ministerial voices from Panama and Kiribati:
- Hon. Gloria María De León Zubieta: Minister of Tourism of Panama
- Hon. Tangariki Reete: Minister of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives of Kiribati

A multi-generational panel exploring cooperative leadership, local economies, technology and AI, and the role of cooperatives in peacebuilding.

Speakers: María Ortiz Pérez (Mexico) · David Aguilar (Panamá) · Valtencir Mendes (Brazil) · Donna Dizen (Philippines) · Aline Nyirabaruta (Rwanda) · Francois Dionne (Canada) · Simone Gamberini (Italy)

Discussants: 2 youth cooperators from Panama · Harsh Sanghani (India), ICA Youth Committee President

Moderator: Danilo Salerno, Director of Cooperatives of the Americas

A brief opportunity to network and connect

Brief updates on global cooperative visibility, including the COOP Marque, the Cooperative Cultural Heritage (CCH) programme, AMICUS, Legal Framework Analysis and the Cooperative Law Congress outcomes.

- Violetta Nafpaktiti: CEO of DotCooperation (DotCoop)
- Tiago Schmidt: President of Sicredi Pioneira Brazil and Lead for Cooperative Cultural Heritage
- Sarah Alldred: Lead for Fund for International Cooperative Development

Introducing the newly elected ICA Board and Presidency to the global cooperative movement

Introduced by Jeroen Douglas, ICA Director General, and read by selected newly elected ICA Board members

Concluding reflections from Panama and the leadership of the global cooperative movement

- Hon. Maricel Cohen de Mulino (Panama): First Lady of the Republic of Panama
- Newly Elected President of the ICA
- José Alves de Souza Neto (Brazil): President of Cooperatives of the Americas

A hands-on origami session bringing participants together to fold paper peace doves

Led by:
- Kenki Maeda: General Manager of the Department for Cooperation among Cooperatives at the Japan Cooperative Alliance

Join together for a collective performance of the song “Imagine” as we release the paper peace doves created earlier, celebrating peace, unity and hope, followed by a group photo

Time to network, connect and refuel

A special bingo activity organised by the First Lady of the Republic of Panama, Hon. Maricel Cohen de Mulino, bringing participants together in support of solidarity