“We are pleased to welcome cooperative members from around the world to our region. We look forward to welcoming them to this significant place, as Panama is home to the Bridge of the Americas, which unites us from north to south and symbolizes the unity in diversity of our continent,” said José Alves de Souza Neto, president of Cooperatives of the Americas, ahead of the World Conference to be held in mid-September in Panama with the support of member organizations: the Panamanian Autonomous Cooperative Institute (IPACOOP) and the Professional Multiple Services Cooperative.
“We hope this conference will lay the groundwork for us to continue building bridges for peace around the world, just as cooperatives have been doing for so many decades,” Alves said. The 2026 World Conference of the International Cooperative Alliance will be held on September 16 and 17, 2026, at the Panama Convention Center.
During the week of the conference Side events and meetings will also be held of the various bodies of the ICA (on September 13 and 14), the ICA General Elective Assembly (September 15), the World Conference (September 16 and 17) and the Regional Elective Assembly of Cooperatives of the Americas and the Meeting of the Regional Board of Directors of ICA Americas (September 18).
The Conference program will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities. In addition, the week will also include the Cooperative Law Congress and the Cooperative Expo, as well as optional visits to the Panama Canal, Panama City's Old Quarter, and various local cooperatives.
In light of the call for this meeting in the current global context, the President of the ICA, Ariel Guarco, declared: “We have a long tradition of respecting the autonomy of communities, to which we add, at the regional and global levels, our tireless efforts to build bridges in favor of peace. Today we see how some choose violence to resolve various types of conflicts in many parts of the world, but we remain committed to peace and are convinced that where there is a cooperative, there is a seed of peace, democracy, inclusion, and equity, and we must cultivate them so that they grow and multiply in all regions.”
