The ICA-AP Regional Board met on 6 April in Kathmandu, Nepal in hybrid mode. It was hosted by the National Cooperative Federation of Nepal (NCFN). Board members and observers from India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and ICA-AP Regional Office staff were present in person, while members from Australia, Malaysia, and Vietnam joined online.
Mr. Min Raj Kadel, Chairperson of NCFN welcomed all the participants and noted that this meeting will be instrumental in discussing the agenda of cooperative development in the Asia and Pacific region. He invited the Board Members to attend the 3rd National Cooperative Congress of Nepal, being organised from 6-8 April with an audience of around 1,000 cooperators. He encouraged them to experience the rich cultural heritage of Kathmandu during their stay.
Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav, President of ICA-AP thanked Mr. Kadel, and NCFN for hosting the Board meeting. He noted that 2023 is a significant year as it marks the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were launched in 2015. He appreciated the contribution of cooperatives across the Asia-Pacific region to implement the SDGs. He said that India is holding the G20 presidency this year and cooperatives have been encouraged to actively participate and engage with B20, C20, W20, and Y20 engagement groups.
Ms. Chitose Arai, Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Women reported on the key activities – office bearers’ meeting in New Delhi, India; International Women’s Day solidarity message; the release of the committee’s 25th-anniversary special logo, celebratory campaign, and committee newsletter; and upcoming pilot training of trainers on Climate Change in Vietnam. Mr. Alireza Banaeifar, Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC), presented updates on the committee strategy; webinars for the Go Green Campaign (GGC) 4.0, International Youth Day 2022, and financial literacy for youth; the election of Mr. Ceejay, Vice-Chairperson, ICYC as the member of the ICA Global Youth Committee; and upcoming activities like capacity building workshop, GGC 5.0, and the 4th edition of the Asia Pacific Cooperative Youth Summit (APCYS 4.0).
Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer, Regional Director, ICA-AP presented the 2022 ICA-AP Annual Activities Report and financial report. He shared the key activities undertaken by the Regional Office since the last Board meeting, and updates on projects (ICA-EU FPA2, SuPER WE Coffee project in Laos PDR, and EU-CSO proposal). He shared updates on membership & subscription status. Dr. Yadav and Regional Board members acknowledged the activities carried out by the office.
The Board approved the updated registration fees for the upcoming ICA-AP Regional Assembly. It will be held in Manila, Philippines with the theme – Cooperatives: Our Common Agenda from 6 to 10 November 2023. Mr. Mohit Dave, Head of Resource Mobilization and Partnerships at ICA-AP presented the proposal for the Asia Pacific Cooperative Excellence Awards being planned in conjunction with the Regional Assembly. The Awards aim to recognise and acknowledge inspiring cooperative leaders, enterprising cooperatives and enabling governments in the Asia-Pacific region. The Board approved the proposal to organise the awards. Mr. Dave also shared updates on APCYS 4.0 and requested the Board members to nominate youth participants from their respective countries.
Mr. Iyer shared that the Regional Office is in touch with the Jordan Cooperative Corporation to discuss the possibility of holding the next Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference in Jordan in 2024.
The Board approved the date and venue of the next Regional Board Meeting, to be held in Malaysia in August 2023. Dr. Yadav thanked the members for their active participation in the meeting.
