The Panama Declaration and the New ICA Global Board, Including the Four Asia-Pacific At-Large Directors
The global cooperative movement gathered in Panama City from 13 to 18 September 2026 for the ICA Global Conference and General Assembly, held under the theme “Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World.” Hosted by the International Cooperative Alliance and Cooperatives of the Americas, alongside the Regional Congress and International Symposium on Cooperative Law, the week brought together more than 1,100 participants from around 80 countries.
On 17 September, the movement adopted the Panama Declaration, reaffirming its conviction that “cooperation is a powerful force for peace, justice, democracy, inclusion, solidarity and shared prosperity.” The Declaration takes a broad view of peace, one that goes beyond ending violence to address poverty, inequality, exclusion, weak institutions and environmental pressures, the root causes that allow conflict to emerge. It calls for a peace economy that invests in dignified livelihoods, reduces inequalities and expands meaningful participation, and it urges governments, the United Nations, development partners and civil society to treat cooperatives as strategic partners in peacebuilding and development.
Dr. Ariel Guarco, President of ICA, framed the message for the week: “Wherever there is cooperation, there is a seed of peace, democracy, inclusion and equity that we must nurture so that it grows and multiplies in every region.” Ms. Bjørg Sandkjær, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, quoted the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres: “Peace is never passive; peace is hard work and peace is action.” The conference also launched the ICA 2026-2030 Strategy, built around the pillars of Practice, Promote and Protect, together with the ICA Communications Strategy 2026-2030, “Speak Up, Scale Up.”
The new ICA Global Board for 2026-2030 was elected on 15 September at the Panama Convention Centre, with 116 voters representing 193 members from 66 countries. Dr. Guarco was elected unopposed as President, observing that “Democracy is not just an election mechanism; it’s a way to relate to one another.” Fifteen At-Large Directors were elected, seven of them returning and eight new.
Asia and the Pacific is well represented among the new directors. Four of the eight newcomers come from the region: Mr. Dileep Sanghani, Chairman of IFFCO, India; Ms. Yuyan Wang, President of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC), China; Mr. Yoshito Shinno, President of JA-Zenchu, Japan; and Mr. Abdul Fattah Abdullah, President of ANGKASA, Malaysia. Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav also serves on the Board as Vice President for Asia and the Pacific. Together with representatives through the sectoral bodies, CICOPA, ICBA, ICFO, ICAO and Youth, Asia and the Pacific will have 10 members on the 30-member ICA Global Board.
With the Declaration adopted and a new Board in place, attention now turns to turning commitment into action. ICA-AP looks forward to working with the four At-Large Directors from the region and the wider Board as the movement carries the Panama message into practice. The next General Assembly is due before 1 July 2027.