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The International Cooperative Alliance unites, represents and serves cooperatives worldwide.
Founded in 1895, it is one of the oldest non-governmental organisations and one of the largest ones measured by the number of people represented: 1 billion cooperative members on the planet.
It is the apex body representing cooperatives, which are estimated to be around 3 million worldwide, providing a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about cooperatives.
Our mission
The global cooperative network
A total of 318 organisations from 112 countries are members of the International Cooperative Alliance.
The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations from all sectors of the economy, namely agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services.
Find the cooperative organisation closer to you!
Cooperative identity
The ICA is the guardian of the Statement on the Cooperative Identity, which includes a definition, 10 values and 7 operational principles: it is the minimum common denominator for all cooperatives in all sectors and all regions.
Discover the history of the cooperative movement
A rooted structure
To implement its activities, the International Cooperative Alliance is organised with a Global Office based in Brussels, four Regional Offices (Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe), eight Global Sectoral Organisations (agriculture, banking, retail, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services), and five Committees and Networks (gender, research, law, youth, and development).
A committed team
The staff of the ICA and of its regional and sectoral bodies are based in various locations around the globe and are committed to helping members and the cooperative movement.
Since its establishment, the International Cooperative Alliance has developed a variety of internal entities aimed at ensuring that we remain responsive to serving members in the most efficient manner possible.
The ICA consists of a governing Board, a General Assembly, four Regions, and eight Sectoral Organisations and several thematic committees and networks.
Regional and Sectoral organisations
Operating from a global office in Brussels, Belgium, the ICA is organised with four Regional Offices: Europe (in Brussels), Africa (in Nairobi), Americas (in San José) & Asia-Pacific (in New Delhi). Each regional office pursues the same goals: representing the International Cooperative Alliance in their part of the world and providing resources to its members. Their work benefits from the International Cooperative Development Program #coops4dev, a five years’ partnership between the ICA and the European Commission.
The ICA is also organised with eight Sectoral organisations in agriculture, banking, retail, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services. Each sectoral body provides resources to their members, as well as conducts surveys and researches to document and improve the cooperative model.
The International Cooperative Alliance’s committees and networks are the think tanks of the ICA. Composed of experienced and dedicated cooperators affiliated with members, committees and networks are on the basis of data, reports, and guidelines that benefit cooperators everywhere.
Gender Equality Committee
The Gender Equality Committee (ICA GEC) is a thematic committee of the International Cooperative Alliance which promotes equality between women and men and gender integration in the co-operative movement and society. It was formerly known as the Alliance's Global Women's Committee.
Get in touch
Visit Gender Equality Committee page
Committee on Cooperative Research
The ICA Committee on Cooperative Research (ICACCR) is a bridge between academic research and the cooperative world. The ICACCR aims to raise awareness of cooperative research, particularly to managers and cooperators so that it can be applied effectively to current cooperative issues.
Get in touch
Visit the ICA Committee on Cooperative Research website
Cooperative Law Committee
The Cooperative Law Committee gives independent advice to the ICA on cooperative law, broadly defined to include all legal rules that shape the cooperative institution and regulate its operations.
Get in touch
Visit Cooperative Law Committee page
Youth Network
The International Cooperative Alliance's Youth Network aims to help young cooperators from different countries to connect, share experiences and ideas, as well as to provide an environment where young cooperators can learn more about the wider cooperative movement. Involving young people from outside the movement through education and support is a key focus of the work of this network. The network also looks to empower young cooperators to engage with the rest of the movement to both raise the profile of youth issues and to ensure the youth perspective is presented during wider discussions.
Get in touch
Visit ICA Youth Network website
International Cooperative Development Platform
The objective of the International Cooperative Development Platform (ICDP) is to promote and support the initiation and furtherance of international cooperative development activities within and among cooperative development organisations, so as to enhance their collaboration as well as social and economic effectiveness.
The Platform serves as a forum for the discussion and exchange of experiences and knowledge on issues related to international cooperative development, the promotion of the cooperative model towards development actors and international institutions, as well as the cooperation within development programs and partnerships.
The General Assembly is the highest authority of the International Cooperative Alliance and is made up of representatives appointed by International Cooperative Alliance member organisations.
Upcoming General Assembly
Previous General Assemblies
The General Assembly meets at regular intervals to:
formulate and implement policy on major issues affecting the International Cooperative Alliance & the global cooperative movement
approve the ICA's Strategic Plan & financial framework
elect the President and the Board, ratify the elections of the Vice-Presidents, the sectoral organisation & youth representatives to the Board
appoint the external auditor
ratify the appointment or removal of the Director-General on the recommendation of the Board
amend the ICA Statutes and By-Laws by a majority of two-thirds of the votes represented
decide on membership subscriptions & representation formulae
approve the International Cooperative Alliance's annual audited accounts
confirm all dispositions taken by the Board, or by any other unincorporated regional or sectoral entity of the ICA, which imposes liabilities or obligations on International Cooperative Alliance, such as investments, borrowings, mortgages, buying and selling of real estate, as well as other agreements
approve the establishment or dissolution of International Cooperative Alliance regions, their respective Regional Assemblies, Sectoral Organisations & Thematic Committees on the recommendation of the Board
decide upon the dissolution of the International Cooperative Alliance by a majority of two-thirds of the votes represented
The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations from all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services.
Discover our members
Why is it important?
We are providing cooperatives with global reach to strengthen your movement locally:
Global networking - meet and share ideas with the largest range of organisations and cooperatives in terms of sectors and size.
Discover our events for networking opportunities
Global best practice - improve the performance of your cooperative organization by learning and adopting the latest best practices globally in cooperative governance, funding, marketing, etc.
Visit our News section for the latest update
Global representation - get the tools to strengthen your own advocacy and be part of the global advocacy of the ICA and its regions and sectors. We ensure issues important to your business sector and the cooperative movement are understood and acted on at a global level with representation at the United Nations, G20, etc.
Access our Global advocacy
Global decision-making – ensure that you take part in the global decision-making process regarding the strategy of the international cooperative movement.
Discover our structure
The one subscription fee entitles members to participate in all the structures of the ICA that are relevant for their cooperative or cooperative organisation.
ICA membership in a nutshell
Learn about all of the services that the International Cooperative Alliance offers, the benefits of membership and the various ways to engage, e.g. through our geographic regions, our business sectors, and our thematic committees! When you join the ICA, these various options are available to you at no additional fee.
We will be updating this package quarterly in order to include the latest information on events, publications, and services.
The Rochdale Pioneers
The earliest record of a cooperative comes from Fenwick, Scotland where, in March 14, 1761, in a barely furnished cottage local weavers manhandled a sack of oatmeal into John Walker's whitewashed front room and began selling the contents at a discount, forming the Fenwick Weavers' Society.
In 1844 a group of 28 artisans working in the cotton mills in the town of Rochdale, in the north of England established the first modern cooperative business, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, also known as the Rochdale Pioneers. They are regarded as the prototype of the modern cooperative society and founders of the cooperative movement. The weavers in these cotton mills in Rochdale faced miserable working conditions and low wages, and they could not afford the high prices of food and household goods. They decided that by pooling their scarce resources and working together they could access basic goods at a lower price. Initially, there were only four items for sale: flour, oatmeal, sugar, and butter.
1
The Pioneers decided it was time shoppers were treated with honesty, openness, and respect, that they should be able to share in the profits that their custom contributed to, and that they should have a democratic right to have a say in the business. Every customer of the shop became a member and so had a true stake in the business. At first, the cooperative was open for only two nights a week, but within three months, the business had grown so much that it was open five days a week.
An independently formulated cooperative model was developed in Germany by Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen and Franz Hermann Schultz-Delitsch. Raiffeisen and Schultz-Delitsch originally formed credit unions in 1862. Since then the model has grown into other sectors and inspired the growth of financial cooperatives across the world.
Celebrating 125 years: evolving to meet changing needs
The achievement in forming the ICA 125 years ago and the continued strength of the cooperative model is a testament of its relevance and contribution and around the world. It has been one of the only international organisations to survive both World War I and World War II. Overcoming all the political differences between its members was difficult, but the ICA survived by staying committed to peace, democracy, and by remaining politically neutral.
New forms and kinds of cooperatives are being invented all the time. Social cooperatives, a noteworthy and impactful experiment in itself, were invented in Italy in the late 1970s, and are now extending all over the world. We have recently seen the emergence of freelancers’ cooperatives, community cooperatives, and different types of multi-stakeholder cooperatives around innovative cooperative entrepreneurial models. It is clear that new forms of cooperatives will continue to emerge as the socio-economic needs of human beings evolve and common aspirations manifest into a collective will to build a better world.Cooperatives are enterprises based on ethics, values, and principles.
Through self-help and empowerment, reinvesting in their communities and concern for the well-being of people and the world in which we live, cooperatives nurture a long-term vision for sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental responsibility.
Cooperatives are not a marginal phenomenon
More than 12% of humanity is part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world!
The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals report a total turnover of 2,146 billion USD, according to the World Cooperative Monitor (2020).
Cooperatives contribute to the sustainable economic growth and stable, quality employment, providing jobs or work opportunities to 280 million people across the globe, in other words, 10% of the world’s employed population.
As member-owned, member-run and member-serving businesses, cooperatives empower people to collectively realise their economic aspirations, while strengthening their social and human capital and developing their communities.
The International Cooperative Alliance is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in the world today by the number of people it represents: more than 1 billion cooperative members from any of the 3 million cooperatives worldwide.
Share your statistics!
Please send any statistics you have on your cooperative organisation, members and the movement of your country to Mr Hyungsik Eum, Strategy and Statistics Coordinator, eum@ica.coop
A strong and healthy movement
The International Cooperative Alliance, with the scientific and technical support of the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse) – publishes an annual report on the cooperative economy: the World Cooperative Monitor.
You can find, download the World Cooperative Monitor and add your cooperative date for the next edition at www.monitor.coop
Cooperatives create and maintain employment
Presented for the first time at the 2014 Summit of Cooperatives, the study “Cooperatives and Employment: a global report” carried out by CICOPA, the International Cooperative Alliance's sector for industrial and service cooperatives, discusses the significance of cooperative employment globally, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Its second edition published in September 2017 and based on data from 156 countries, shows how cooperatives contribute to resilient employment, a sustainable economy and the well-being of people at work.
Database of Cooperative Statistics
There is no global-level comprehensive database of cooperative statistics because statistical offices analyse cooperatives differently from country to country. Therefore, it is difficult to get a complete picture. There are some key reports and tools that provide some global data on cooperatives:
1
The World Cooperative Monitor
1
The Global Census on Cooperatives
1
Cooperatives and Employment
1
The Data Explorer
The International Cooperative Alliance advocates the interests and success of cooperatives, providing a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action.
Uniting the global cooperative movement
The ICA serves as a forum to boost cooperation between cooperatives:
1
Developing business relationships and partnerships among its members
1
Organising a rich diversity of regional and international events where organisations meet regularly to share ideas
1
Providing support instruments and disseminating know-how
1
Facilitating training programmes, events, and publications developed in partnership with cooperative development agencies
Search the cooperative events close to you
Discover our online resources
Promoting the cooperative difference
Working on the cooperative minimum standards or common denominators has continuously remained part of the fundamental mission of the ICA since its creation. It is intrinsically linked to the legislation field, as national regulation having an impact on cooperatives should be first of all aimed at protecting the cooperative identity.
The ICA represents and promotes the cooperative specificity towards media and in multilateral organisations including the United Nations, ILO, FAO, IFAD, the International Accounting Standards Board and the B20 among others.
Discover our advocacy mission
Developing an economic instrument
The ICA provides individuals and communities with an instrument of self-help and influence over local communities, regions, countries, continents and the whole world through wealth creation and redistribution, democracy, empowerment, and by producing an ever-increasing convergence between the economic, social and environmental components of development.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the merit of providing us with the first-ever comprehensive conceptual framework on development with precise goals and indicators on which all the states have agreed upon, the SDGs can thus be considered to be a transversal strategic priority for the ICA.
Explore our campaign Coops for 2030
A new worldwide strategic plan for the cooperative movement!
The Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade was approved in 2012 as a strategic document for the global cooperative movement in conjunction with the UN International Year of Cooperatives. In the years following its adoption, the ICA used the Blueprint as an opportunity to address member needs and build meaningful initiatives that deliver value back to the membership.
While the cooperative decade has come to a close, a new 10-year 2020-2030 strategic plan called A People Centered Path for a Second Cooperative Decade 2020-2030 was approved at the ICA General Assembly in Kigali in 2019, based on a multi-faceted consultation in which most ICA members participated.
This is the final version of the ICA 2020-2030 Strategic Plan, named “A People-Centred Path to a Second Cooperative Decade”, based on the earlier Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade, and providing strategic guidance to the ICA and its bodies for the 2020-2030 decade. It was approved at the ICA General Assembly held in Kigali, including the incorporation of comments and additional contributions made at the General Assembly. This final version was approved by the ICA Board in January 2020.
This Strategic Plan is based on 22 months of preparatory work, including two surveys with the whole ICA membership, two consultations with the ICA bodies (Regions, Sectoral Organizations, Thematic Committees and Youth Network) and several days of meetings and written consultations within the ICA Board.
As people-centred businesses, cooperatives are owned and run by their members, who have an equal say in what their organisation does and how it generates and uses profits.
Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, enabling people around the world to take control over their livelihoods.
Strengthening cooperatives is, therefore, an established way to empower people and local communities to take charge of their own development, putting people before profit.
About the ICA-EU partnership
In March 2016, the International Cooperative Alliance entered into a partnership with the European Commission (also known as #coops4dev), ushering in a new phase of collaboration on strengthening the cooperative movement as key actor in international development.
Acting as partners, the Regional and Global offices of the ICA are driving the actions, in collaboration with members, sectors, civil society organisations, international institutions and the EU, aiming at strengthening the cooperative voice in international development programs and policies.
The partnership is built around growing visibility, enhancing advocacy, sharing and providing capacity building, strengthening cooperative development networking, establishing partnerships with other stakeholders, and supporting the whole with evidence from research.
Main #coops4dev activities and achievements :
1
A historic recognition within the new EU Consensus on Development
1
3 strong references point out the cooperative role as key actors in the implementation of the Agenda 2030
1
International Cooperative Development Platform (ICDP)
1
Publications on cooperatives and development
1
Legal Framework Analysis and Mapping Research
1
Training and capacity building
1
Global Cooperative Entrepreneurs programme
1
Global Youth Forum on Cooperative Entrepreneurship 2020
1
aroundtheworld.coop documentary film project
Founded in 1895, it is one of the oldest non-governmental organisations and one of the largest ones measured by the number of people represented: 1 billion cooperative members on the planet.
It is the apex body representing cooperatives, which are estimated to be around 3 million worldwide, providing a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about cooperatives.
Our mission
The global cooperative network
A total of 318 organisations from 112 countries are members of the International Cooperative Alliance.
The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations from all sectors of the economy, namely agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services.
Find the cooperative organisation closer to you!
Cooperative identity
The ICA is the guardian of the Statement on the Cooperative Identity, which includes a definition, 10 values and 7 operational principles: it is the minimum common denominator for all cooperatives in all sectors and all regions.
Discover the history of the cooperative movement
A rooted structure
To implement its activities, the International Cooperative Alliance is organised with a Global Office based in Brussels, four Regional Offices (Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe), eight Global Sectoral Organisations (agriculture, banking, retail, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services), and five Committees and Networks (gender, research, law, youth, and development).
A committed team
The staff of the ICA and of its regional and sectoral bodies are based in various locations around the globe and are committed to helping members and the cooperative movement.
Since its establishment, the International Cooperative Alliance has developed a variety of internal entities aimed at ensuring that we remain responsive to serving members in the most efficient manner possible.
The ICA consists of a governing Board, a General Assembly, four Regions, and eight Sectoral Organisations and several thematic committees and networks.
Regional and Sectoral organisations
Operating from a global office in Brussels, Belgium, the ICA is organised with four Regional Offices: Europe (in Brussels), Africa (in Nairobi), Americas (in San José) & Asia-Pacific (in New Delhi). Each regional office pursues the same goals: representing the International Cooperative Alliance in their part of the world and providing resources to its members. Their work benefits from the International Cooperative Development Program #coops4dev, a five years’ partnership between the ICA and the European Commission.
The ICA is also organised with eight Sectoral organisations in agriculture, banking, retail, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services. Each sectoral body provides resources to their members, as well as conducts surveys and researches to document and improve the cooperative model.
The International Cooperative Alliance’s committees and networks are the think tanks of the ICA. Composed of experienced and dedicated cooperators affiliated with members, committees and networks are on the basis of data, reports, and guidelines that benefit cooperators everywhere.
Gender Equality Committee
The Gender Equality Committee (ICA GEC) is a thematic committee of the International Cooperative Alliance which promotes equality between women and men and gender integration in the co-operative movement and society. It was formerly known as the Alliance's Global Women's Committee.
Get in touch
Visit Gender Equality Committee page
Committee on Cooperative Research
The ICA Committee on Cooperative Research (ICACCR) is a bridge between academic research and the cooperative world. The ICACCR aims to raise awareness of cooperative research, particularly to managers and cooperators so that it can be applied effectively to current cooperative issues.
Get in touch
Visit the ICA Committee on Cooperative Research website
Cooperative Law Committee
The Cooperative Law Committee gives independent advice to the ICA on cooperative law, broadly defined to include all legal rules that shape the cooperative institution and regulate its operations.
Get in touch
Visit Cooperative Law Committee page
Youth Network
The International Cooperative Alliance's Youth Network aims to help young cooperators from different countries to connect, share experiences and ideas, as well as to provide an environment where young cooperators can learn more about the wider cooperative movement. Involving young people from outside the movement through education and support is a key focus of the work of this network. The network also looks to empower young cooperators to engage with the rest of the movement to both raise the profile of youth issues and to ensure the youth perspective is presented during wider discussions.
Get in touch
Visit ICA Youth Network website
International Cooperative Development Platform
The objective of the International Cooperative Development Platform (ICDP) is to promote and support the initiation and furtherance of international cooperative development activities within and among cooperative development organisations, so as to enhance their collaboration as well as social and economic effectiveness.
The Platform serves as a forum for the discussion and exchange of experiences and knowledge on issues related to international cooperative development, the promotion of the cooperative model towards development actors and international institutions, as well as the cooperation within development programs and partnerships.
The General Assembly is the highest authority of the International Cooperative Alliance and is made up of representatives appointed by International Cooperative Alliance member organisations.
Upcoming General Assembly
Previous General Assemblies
The General Assembly meets at regular intervals to:
formulate and implement policy on major issues affecting the International Cooperative Alliance & the global cooperative movement
approve the ICA's Strategic Plan & financial framework
elect the President and the Board, ratify the elections of the Vice-Presidents, the sectoral organisation & youth representatives to the Board
appoint the external auditor
ratify the appointment or removal of the Director-General on the recommendation of the Board
amend the ICA Statutes and By-Laws by a majority of two-thirds of the votes represented
decide on membership subscriptions & representation formulae
approve the International Cooperative Alliance's annual audited accounts
confirm all dispositions taken by the Board, or by any other unincorporated regional or sectoral entity of the ICA, which imposes liabilities or obligations on International Cooperative Alliance, such as investments, borrowings, mortgages, buying and selling of real estate, as well as other agreements
approve the establishment or dissolution of International Cooperative Alliance regions, their respective Regional Assemblies, Sectoral Organisations & Thematic Committees on the recommendation of the Board
decide upon the dissolution of the International Cooperative Alliance by a majority of two-thirds of the votes represented
The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations from all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and industry & services.
Discover our members
Why is it important?
We are providing cooperatives with global reach to strengthen your movement locally:
Global networking - meet and share ideas with the largest range of organisations and cooperatives in terms of sectors and size.
Discover our events for networking opportunities
Global best practice - improve the performance of your cooperative organization by learning and adopting the latest best practices globally in cooperative governance, funding, marketing, etc.
Visit our News section for the latest update
Global representation - get the tools to strengthen your own advocacy and be part of the global advocacy of the ICA and its regions and sectors. We ensure issues important to your business sector and the cooperative movement are understood and acted on at a global level with representation at the United Nations, G20, etc.
Access our Global advocacy
Global decision-making – ensure that you take part in the global decision-making process regarding the strategy of the international cooperative movement.
Discover our structure
The one subscription fee entitles members to participate in all the structures of the ICA that are relevant for their cooperative or cooperative organisation.
ICA membership in a nutshell
Learn about all of the services that the International Cooperative Alliance offers, the benefits of membership and the various ways to engage, e.g. through our geographic regions, our business sectors, and our thematic committees! When you join the ICA, these various options are available to you at no additional fee.
We will be updating this package quarterly in order to include the latest information on events, publications, and services.
The Rochdale Pioneers
The earliest record of a cooperative comes from Fenwick, Scotland where, in March 14, 1761, in a barely furnished cottage local weavers manhandled a sack of oatmeal into John Walker's whitewashed front room and began selling the contents at a discount, forming the Fenwick Weavers' Society.
In 1844 a group of 28 artisans working in the cotton mills in the town of Rochdale, in the north of England established the first modern cooperative business, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, also known as the Rochdale Pioneers. They are regarded as the prototype of the modern cooperative society and founders of the cooperative movement. The weavers in these cotton mills in Rochdale faced miserable working conditions and low wages, and they could not afford the high prices of food and household goods. They decided that by pooling their scarce resources and working together they could access basic goods at a lower price. Initially, there were only four items for sale: flour, oatmeal, sugar, and butter.
1
The Pioneers decided it was time shoppers were treated with honesty, openness, and respect, that they should be able to share in the profits that their custom contributed to, and that they should have a democratic right to have a say in the business. Every customer of the shop became a member and so had a true stake in the business. At first, the cooperative was open for only two nights a week, but within three months, the business had grown so much that it was open five days a week.
An independently formulated cooperative model was developed in Germany by Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen and Franz Hermann Schultz-Delitsch. Raiffeisen and Schultz-Delitsch originally formed credit unions in 1862. Since then the model has grown into other sectors and inspired the growth of financial cooperatives across the world.
Celebrating 125 years: evolving to meet changing needs
The achievement in forming the ICA 125 years ago and the continued strength of the cooperative model is a testament of its relevance and contribution and around the world. It has been one of the only international organisations to survive both World War I and World War II. Overcoming all the political differences between its members was difficult, but the ICA survived by staying committed to peace, democracy, and by remaining politically neutral.
New forms and kinds of cooperatives are being invented all the time. Social cooperatives, a noteworthy and impactful experiment in itself, were invented in Italy in the late 1970s, and are now extending all over the world. We have recently seen the emergence of freelancers’ cooperatives, community cooperatives, and different types of multi-stakeholder cooperatives around innovative cooperative entrepreneurial models. It is clear that new forms of cooperatives will continue to emerge as the socio-economic needs of human beings evolve and common aspirations manifest into a collective will to build a better world.Cooperatives are enterprises based on ethics, values, and principles.
Through self-help and empowerment, reinvesting in their communities and concern for the well-being of people and the world in which we live, cooperatives nurture a long-term vision for sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental responsibility.
Cooperatives are not a marginal phenomenon
More than 12% of humanity is part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world!
The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals report a total turnover of 2,146 billion USD, according to the World Cooperative Monitor (2020).
Cooperatives contribute to the sustainable economic growth and stable, quality employment, providing jobs or work opportunities to 280 million people across the globe, in other words, 10% of the world’s employed population.
As member-owned, member-run and member-serving businesses, cooperatives empower people to collectively realise their economic aspirations, while strengthening their social and human capital and developing their communities.
The International Cooperative Alliance is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in the world today by the number of people it represents: more than 1 billion cooperative members from any of the 3 million cooperatives worldwide.
Share your statistics!
Please send any statistics you have on your cooperative organisation, members and the movement of your country to Mr Hyungsik Eum, Strategy and Statistics Coordinator, eum@ica.coop
A strong and healthy movement
The International Cooperative Alliance, with the scientific and technical support of the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse) – publishes an annual report on the cooperative economy: the World Cooperative Monitor.
You can find, download the World Cooperative Monitor and add your cooperative date for the next edition at www.monitor.coop
Cooperatives create and maintain employment
Presented for the first time at the 2014 Summit of Cooperatives, the study “Cooperatives and Employment: a global report” carried out by CICOPA, the International Cooperative Alliance's sector for industrial and service cooperatives, discusses the significance of cooperative employment globally, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Its second edition published in September 2017 and based on data from 156 countries, shows how cooperatives contribute to resilient employment, a sustainable economy and the well-being of people at work.
Database of Cooperative Statistics
There is no global-level comprehensive database of cooperative statistics because statistical offices analyse cooperatives differently from country to country. Therefore, it is difficult to get a complete picture. There are some key reports and tools that provide some global data on cooperatives:
1
The World Cooperative Monitor
1
The Global Census on Cooperatives
1
Cooperatives and Employment
1
The Data Explorer
The International Cooperative Alliance advocates the interests and success of cooperatives, providing a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action.
Uniting the global cooperative movement
The ICA serves as a forum to boost cooperation between cooperatives:
1
Developing business relationships and partnerships among its members
1
Organising a rich diversity of regional and international events where organisations meet regularly to share ideas
1
Providing support instruments and disseminating know-how
1
Facilitating training programmes, events, and publications developed in partnership with cooperative development agencies
Search the cooperative events close to you
Discover our online resources
Promoting the cooperative difference
Working on the cooperative minimum standards or common denominators has continuously remained part of the fundamental mission of the ICA since its creation. It is intrinsically linked to the legislation field, as national regulation having an impact on cooperatives should be first of all aimed at protecting the cooperative identity.
The ICA represents and promotes the cooperative specificity towards media and in multilateral organisations including the United Nations, ILO, FAO, IFAD, the International Accounting Standards Board and the B20 among others.
Discover our advocacy mission
Developing an economic instrument
The ICA provides individuals and communities with an instrument of self-help and influence over local communities, regions, countries, continents and the whole world through wealth creation and redistribution, democracy, empowerment, and by producing an ever-increasing convergence between the economic, social and environmental components of development.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the merit of providing us with the first-ever comprehensive conceptual framework on development with precise goals and indicators on which all the states have agreed upon, the SDGs can thus be considered to be a transversal strategic priority for the ICA.
Explore our campaign Coops for 2030
A new worldwide strategic plan for the cooperative movement!
The Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade was approved in 2012 as a strategic document for the global cooperative movement in conjunction with the UN International Year of Cooperatives. In the years following its adoption, the ICA used the Blueprint as an opportunity to address member needs and build meaningful initiatives that deliver value back to the membership.
While the cooperative decade has come to a close, a new 10-year 2020-2030 strategic plan called A People Centered Path for a Second Cooperative Decade 2020-2030 was approved at the ICA General Assembly in Kigali in 2019, based on a multi-faceted consultation in which most ICA members participated.
This is the final version of the ICA 2020-2030 Strategic Plan, named “A People-Centred Path to a Second Cooperative Decade”, based on the earlier Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade, and providing strategic guidance to the ICA and its bodies for the 2020-2030 decade. It was approved at the ICA General Assembly held in Kigali, including the incorporation of comments and additional contributions made at the General Assembly. This final version was approved by the ICA Board in January 2020.
This Strategic Plan is based on 22 months of preparatory work, including two surveys with the whole ICA membership, two consultations with the ICA bodies (Regions, Sectoral Organizations, Thematic Committees and Youth Network) and several days of meetings and written consultations within the ICA Board.
As people-centred businesses, cooperatives are owned and run by their members, who have an equal say in what their organisation does and how it generates and uses profits.
Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, enabling people around the world to take control over their livelihoods.
Strengthening cooperatives is, therefore, an established way to empower people and local communities to take charge of their own development, putting people before profit.
About the ICA-EU partnership
In March 2016, the International Cooperative Alliance entered into a partnership with the European Commission (also known as #coops4dev), ushering in a new phase of collaboration on strengthening the cooperative movement as key actor in international development.
Acting as partners, the Regional and Global offices of the ICA are driving the actions, in collaboration with members, sectors, civil society organisations, international institutions and the EU, aiming at strengthening the cooperative voice in international development programs and policies.
The partnership is built around growing visibility, enhancing advocacy, sharing and providing capacity building, strengthening cooperative development networking, establishing partnerships with other stakeholders, and supporting the whole with evidence from research.
Main #coops4dev activities and achievements :
1
A historic recognition within the new EU Consensus on Development
1
3 strong references point out the cooperative role as key actors in the implementation of the Agenda 2030
1
International Cooperative Development Platform (ICDP)
1
Publications on cooperatives and development
1
Legal Framework Analysis and Mapping Research
1
Training and capacity building
1
Global Cooperative Entrepreneurs programme
1
Global Youth Forum on Cooperative Entrepreneurship 2020
1
aroundtheworld.coop documentary film project
Company Information
Contact Name:
Contact Email:
ica@ica.coop
Contact Phone:
+32 (2) 743 10 30
Contact Fax:
Since :
Company Size:
Address1:
Avenue Milcamps 105 1030 Brussels, Belgium
Address2: