• 10:30-18:00 Check-in

    Room: Boletería (Box Office)

    Process of confirming your registration status for the conference and/or congress, and collection of the participant kit
    Contact persons: Gretchen Hacquard and Hannah Li

  • 8:00-12:00 CCH General Meeting

    Room: Caribe 7
    Side Event

    Members of the Cooperative Cultural Heritage (CCH) programme come together to share experiences, discuss key priorities and strengthen collaboration across the cooperative movement

    Contact person: Santosh Kumar

  • 9:00-18:00 Check-in

    Room: Boletería (Box Office)

    Process of confirming your registration status for the conference and/or congress, and collection of the participant kit
    Contact persons: Gretchen Hacquard and Hannah Li

  • 09:00-12:00 ICFO General Assembly & Executive Members Meeting

    Room: Caribe 3
    Side Event

    Bringing together members of the International Cooperative Fisheries Organization (ICFO) to discuss key priorities and strengthen cooperation across the cooperative fisheries sector

    Contact person: Jaehyang Ko

  • 9:00-13:00 ICAO General Meeting

    Hotel Renaissance Panama City
    Side Event

    Members of the International Cooperative Agricultural Organisation (ICAO) come together to discuss key priorities and strengthen cooperation across the agricultural cooperative movement

    Contact persons: Jungsik Jung and Jongseok Lee

  • 11:30-15:30 Voting Materials Distribution

    Room: Centro de Negocios (Business Center)

    Collection of voting materials for eligible voters attending the ICA General Assembly

    Contact person: Gretchen Hacquard

  • 8:30-9:30 Voting Materials Distribution

    Room: Centro de Negocios (Business Center)

    Collection of voting materials for eligible voters attending the ICA General Assembly

    Contact person: Gretchen Hacquard

  • 9:00-18:00 Check-in

    Room: Boletería (Box Office)

    Process of confirming your registration status for the conference and/or congress, and collection of the participant kit
    Contact persons: Gretchen Hacquard and Hannah Li

  • 09:30-11:15 ICA General Assembly, Global Board & President Elections (part 1)

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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)

  • 11:45-13:00 ICA General Assembly, Global Board & President Elections (part 2)

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2

    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)

  • 14:30-16:00 ICA General Assembly, Global Board & President Elections (part 3)

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2

    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)

  • Free Evening

    No official activities or dinner are scheduled. Participants are free to return to their hotels, make their own dinner arrangements or enjoy the evening at their leisure

  • 9:00-18:00 Check-in

    Room: Boletería (Box Office)

    Process of confirming your registration status for the conference and/or congress, and collection of the participant kit
    Contact persons: Gretchen Hacquard and Hannah Li

  • 09:00-18:00 Continental Congress and International Symposium on Cooperative Law

    Room: Caribe 6-7
    Other events

    Under the theme “Cooperative Law in the Face of Today’s Challenges”, the Congress will bring together cooperative organisations, legal specialists, academic institutions, public entities and other stakeholders to explore the legal challenges shaping the present and future of the cooperative movement

    Contact persons: Santosh Kumar and Nicolás Jacquet

  • 09:00-18:00 Coop EXPO

    Lobby & Foyer
    Other events

    Discover the diversity and impact of the cooperative movement at Coop EXPO, featuring around 40 stands showcasing Panamanian cooperative enterprises in the ground-floor lobby, alongside exhibition stands from event partners and sponsors in the first-floor foyer

    Explore innovative cooperative initiatives, connect with organisations and discover the people and ideas shaping the cooperative movement in Panama and beyond

  • 09:00-09:15 Welcome to the Global Cooperative Conference

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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.

  • 9:15-10:15 Official Opening of the Global Cooperative Conference

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 10:15-10:45 Coffee Break

    Foyer
    Global event

    Opportunity for initial networking and informal exchange among global delegates

  • 10:45-11:15 Building a Better World Together: Keynote Address

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

    --

    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

  • 11:15-11:20 Short Announcement: Launch of the SDG Policy Brief Series

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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)

  • 11:20-12:30 Panel Debate: Building Bridges – The Cooperative Path to Peaceful Multilateralism

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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)

  • 14:00-14:45 Cultural Programme

    Lobby
    Global event

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

  • 14:45-17:00 Break-out Workshops: Building Bridges…

    Various Rooms
    Global event

    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)

  • Morning: Check-in

    Room: Boletería (Box Office)

    Process of confirming your registration status for the conference and/or congress, and collection of the participant kit
    Contact persons: Gretchen Hacquard and Hannah Li

  • 09:00-18:00 Coop EXPO

    Lobby & Foyer
    Other events

    Discover the diversity and impact of the cooperative movement at Coop EXPO, featuring around 40 stands showcasing Panamanian cooperative enterprises in the ground-floor lobby, alongside exhibition stands from event partners and sponsors in the first-floor foyer

    Explore innovative cooperative initiatives, connect with organisations and discover the people and ideas shaping the cooperative movement in Panama and beyond

  • 09:45-11:00 Panel Debate: From Local Roots to Global Impact – Cooperatives and Leadership in Peacebuilding

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 11:30-11:45 Short Announcements

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 12:15-12:30 Closing Session: Looking Ahead Together

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 12:30-12:45 Folding Peace Together

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 12:45-13:00 United in Music

    Foyer
    Global event

    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

  • 14:00-15:00 Cooperative AI: Shaping the Future Together

    Room: Caribe 5
    Side Event

    Join us for an interactive workshop open to all conference participants, exploring why AI matters for cooperatives, how the movement can shape its development, and working together towards a shared definition of Cooperative AI

    Featuring: Jeroen Douglas · Piero Ingrosso · Francesca Ottolenghi · Marc Noel

  • 14:00-18:00 Global CICOPA and CICOPA America Meeting

    Room: Istmo 1
    Side Event

    Members of the International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives (CICOPA) and CICOPA America come together to discuss key priorities and strengthen cooperation across the industrial and service cooperative movement

    Contact persons: Diana Dovgan and Francesca Zaganelli (CICOPA)

  • 14:00-19:00 Continental Congress and International Symposium on Cooperative Law

    Room: Caribe 6
    Other events

    Under the theme “Cooperative Law in the Face of Today’s Challenges”, the Congress will bring together cooperative organisations, legal specialists, academic institutions, public entities and other stakeholders to explore the legal challenges shaping the present and future of the cooperative movement

    Contact persons: Santosh Kumar and Nicolás Jacquet

  • 15:00-17:00 Solidarity Bingo

    Room: America Hall 1 & 2
    Global event

    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

  • 15:00-17:00 Global ICADP meeting

    Room: Caribe 5
    Side Event

    Members of the International Cooperative Alliance Development Platform (ICADP) come together to discuss key priorities and strengthen cooperation in advancing cooperative development worldwide

    Contact person: Marc Noel