The ICA General Assembly, Global Cooperative Conference, and related meetings took place in Panama City, the capital of Panama, from September 13 to 17, 2026.
The conference, held under the theme "Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World," brought together approximately 1,100 participants from 80 countries.
JCCU President ARAI Chitose attended the General Assembly, where she participated in voting on resolutions and in elections. She also spoke at the closing ceremony of the Global Conference and the Cooperative Cultural Heritage recognition ceremony.
At the ICA General Assembly, participants received reports on activities in FY2025 and the business plan for 2026. Elections were also held for the ICA President and Global Board members, both of which take place every four years.
The incumbent ICA President, Dr. Ariel Guarco of Argentina, was re-elected for a third term. In the Global Board elections, 24 candidates from 24 countries competed for 15 seats. Among those elected was SHINNO Yoshito, President of JA-Zenchu (Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives) and Chair of the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA), who joined the Board as a new member.

At the Global Conference, representatives from governments, international organizations, and cooperatives took part in presentations and panel discussions centered on the themes of "Building Bridges" and "Peace." They explored how cooperatives can promote sustainable development, strengthen social cohesion, and contribute to peace through collaboration with various stakeholders.
ICA President Dr. Ariel Guarco emphasized the important role of cooperatives in achieving "positive peace." The conference also highlighted how cooperatives can help build a more peaceful world by strengthening local economies and creating more inclusive societies.

ICA President Dr. Ariel Guarco

A scene from the opening ceremony.

At the closing ceremony of the Global Conference, JCCU President ARAI Chitose introduced the peace activities of Japanese consumer co-ops. She then joined other representatives from Japanese cooperatives in showing participants how to fold an Origami Peace Dove. Together, they folded paper doves, expressing their shared hopes for peace.

JCCU President ARAI Chitose introducing the peace activities of Japanese consumer co-ops.

Participants holding their Origami Peace Doves.

The Global Conference also featured a recognition ceremony for cultural heritage sites and practices registered in 2025 under the Cooperative Cultural Heritage initiative, launched by the ICA that same year.
The initiative aims to identify, document, and protect tangible and intangible heritage that reflects the identity and values of cooperatives.

The first list of sites recognized under the Cooperative Cultural Heritage initiative in 2025 included the Naruto City Kagawa Toyohiko Memorial Museum in Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture. The museum is dedicated to KAGAWA Toyohiko, widely known as "the Father of the Japanese Co-operative Movement." JCCU President ARAI Chitose attended the recognition ceremony on behalf of the museum.
In 2026, four additional facilities associated with KAGAWA Toyohiko were included in the second list of recognized sites: the Kagawa Memorial Center in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; the Consumers Co-operative Kobe Historical Archive in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture; the Kagawa Archives & Resource Center in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo; and the General Incorporation Foundation Honjo Kagawa Memorial Center in Sumida Ward, Tokyo.
The newly recognized sites are listed on the ICA's Cooperative Cultural Heritage website.

JCCU President ARAI Chitose delivering a speech at the recognition ceremony.