From reflection to action, ICA-AP engages in #Coops4Dev🌏 Annual Review Meeting (ARM) 2026
The International Cooperative Alliance – Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) actively participated in the ICA–EU #Coops4dev🌏 Annual Review Meeting (ARM) 2026 held from 17–20 March 2026 in Rome, Italy, in a hybrid set-up. Due to the current situation in West Asia and related travel constraints, the ICA-AP team participated virtually.
The ARM brought together regional offices under the ICA–EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA II) to reflect on progress, strengthen coordination, and align priorities for the year ahead. It served as a key platform for collaborative planning and knowledge exchange across workstreams, including capacity building, policy and advocacy, research, communications, and finance. Through a series of structured sessions and interactive discussions, participants assessed ongoing initiatives and identified opportunities to enhance collective impact under the #COOPS4DEV partnership.
A central highlight of the meeting was the peer learning sessions, where thematic groups engaged in in-depth discussions on priority areas. The coordination and policy group explored linkages between cooperatives and global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), green growth, and the Policy Forum on Development (PFD). Parallel sessions on research focused on mapping and thematic studies, while communications and finance groups examined strategies for improving visibility, outreach, and financial management support.
Insights from these discussions were shared among all, fostering cross-learning and ensuring alignment across regions and thematic areas. Building on this, participants collectively identified the “big rocks” for the year—key strategic priorities aimed at harmonizing efforts and strengthening the overall coherence of the partnership.
Further group work sessions enabled participants to translate these priorities into concrete actions across core workstreams, including mapping and results frameworks, capacity building, and policy and partnerships. These discussions emphasised the importance of coordinated implementation and leveraging regional strengths to advance shared objectives.
The meeting also featured a dedicated session on communications and visibility, focusing on joint communication strategies, target audiences, and key opportunities to amplify the impact of cooperative development initiatives globally.
The overall evaluation of the ARM provided space for reflection on performance and future improvements. The meeting concluded with a cooperative field visit to Social Cooperative META, offering participants practical insights into cooperative models in action.