The 15th edition of the Coop Colloquium was held on 19 August 2025, bringing together cooperative leaders, researchers, practitioners, and youth from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Organised by the ICA-AP Committee on Cooperative Research (CCR) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Cooperative Development Platform (APCDP), the event focused on how cooperatives can collaborate across borders to address shared challenges and seize new opportunities in the UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025.

Discussions highlighted the importance of strong legal frameworks, education and capacity building, and inclusive strategies to engage women and youth in leadership. Speakers shared insights from Germany’s robust auditing system, India’s multi-level cooperative model, and Cambodia’s emerging agricultural cooperatives, all of which underscored how collaboration and supportive policies strengthen resilience and sustainability.

Participants also examined how digitalisation is reshaping the cooperative movement, from mobile banking to blockchain, and reflected on the potential of platforms like the APCDP to foster peer-to-peer learning, joint advocacy, and shared research.

The colloquium concluded with a call to use the momentum of IYC 2025 to deepen cross-border solidarity through training programmes, e-learning tools, and joint initiatives. Participants reaffirmed that while cooperatives remain rooted in local communities, their ability to collaborate globally is vital for addressing complex issues such as climate change, food security, and inclusive economic growth.

By reaffirming the values of democracy, equity, and solidarity, Coop Colloquium 15 showcased the power of research-driven dialogue in charting a collective path forward for the cooperative movement in Asia-Pacific and beyond.