Cooperatives of the Americas, in collaboration with the Panamanian Autonomous Cooperative Institute (IPACOOP) and Cooperativa Profesionales, RL, are organizing the closing event for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, which will take place from November 24 to 27 at the City of Knowledge, Panama City.
This meeting will bring together representatives of the government, international organizations, strategic allies and the regional cooperative movement to discuss care economy in an emblematic space of innovation and international cooperation located in the former Canal Zone.
This event, conceived as a moment of celebration and assessment of cooperativism at the close of the International Year of Cooperatives, offers a program that combines conferences, panels, and spaces for dialogue with social and cultural activities, including visits, an exhibition space for cooperative and allied ventures, and a Cooperative World Cup, open to the participation of interested delegations.
The care economy as a central theme
This event focuses on the care economy as an essential component for achieving sustainable development. The region's cooperatives are demonstrating their responsiveness through initiatives that promote decent work, the inclusion of vulnerable populations, the creation of solidarity-based care networks, and the revitalization of local economies, based on the principles of intercooperation, economic democracy, and participatory management.
Concept note on academic panels and spaces
More activities and other collaborative spaces:
In addition to the academic agenda, the event will offer spaces for integration and celebration appropriate for this closing of AIC2025. Some of these activities require prior registration:
- Cooperative Football World Cup: A space has been created for men and women who wish to share in a recreational soccer space, the organization will form the teams to guarantee diversity and integration, but prior registration is required.
- Cooperative visit to the Emberá-Drúa community: Scheduled for November 24, 2025, this experience will offer the opportunity to learn firsthand how this community has found in cooperatives a tool for development and improving their quality of life. The visit is free, with limited seating, and includes canoeing and short walks in natural terrain. For more information and to reserve your space, complete the form. Registration Form,
Important: due to the calendar, it cannot be guaranteed that those participating in this visit will be able to attend the event's opening conference, which will take place in the afternoon of the same day.
- Cooperative Allies Expo: Exhibition of sponsors, products, services and ventures of cooperative and allied companies.
These activities seek to highlight the diversity of the movement and celebrate the cooperative identity in an environment of exchange and collaboration.
Calendar
Logistics information
LOG-IN OR SIGN UP
Registration is now open and places are limited., so it is recommended to secure your participation in advance. The registration fee is USD 400 for international participants (record) and USD 120 for Panamanian participants (national registration form). The registration deadline is November 15, 2025, and credentials will be distributed on November 24, starting at 4:00 p.m., and on November 25, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., at the City of Knowledge.
To facilitate your stay, preferential rates have been arranged at nearby hotels (blocked until October 31, 2025). The Holiday Inn Panama Canal offers rates from USD 88 (single) and USD 99 (double), while the Marriott Albrook offers prices from USD 115 (single) and USD 126.5 (double). Local transportation will be available between these hotels and the City of Knowledge at scheduled times. Transportation between the airport, the hotel, and the event will be the responsibility of each participant, with options such as official taxis, Uber, or private services available.
More information about weather, transportation, or schedules
Closing the year and shared horizon
This event will also provide an opportunity to conduct a regional assessment of the impact of the International Year of Cooperatives, capturing key lessons learned and results from initiatives launched in the Americas. It will also allow for the sharing of the Committee of the Parties' actions in the region and generate strategic input to strengthen the impact of cooperativism on public policy, social development, and sustainability, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
Thus, the meeting will not only mark the close of a historic year, but will also project future actions that will consolidate the regional impact of the cooperative movement.
