International Cooperative Alliance

2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives officially launched!

12 months to light cooperatives up. Find IYC2025 upcoming events, resources, and how cooperatives are building a better world.
UN GA for IYC2025

New Delhi Action Agenda for a Cooperative Future released

The ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024 in New Delhi, India marks a significant moment as more than 3,000 cooperators launched together the UN International Year of Cooperatives, a testament to the power of cooperatives in tackling global challenges.
Conference

Elevate your identity: Tell the world that you are a Cooperative

Build your Cooperative brand in the digital economy with a .coop domain name. Launched in 2001, a .coop domain says that you are part of a global movement of more than 3 million cooperatives.
DotCoop

Cooperatives are building a better world: discover how!

The International Cooperative Alliance is the voice of cooperatives worldwide 

It was established in 1895 to promote the cooperative model. Today cooperative members represent at least 12% of humanity. As businesses driven by values and not by the remuneration of capital, the 3 million cooperatives on earth act together to build a better world.

What is a cooperative?

Cooperatives are people-centred enterprises jointly owned and democratically controlled by and for their members to realise their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations. As enterprises based on values and principles, they put fairness and equality first allowing people to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity. Managed by producers, users or workers, cooperatives are run according to the 'one member, one vote' rule.

Cooperative impact

The 3 million cooperatives on earth contribute to sustainable economic growth and stable, quality employment

The cooperative movement accounts

for at least 12% of humanity
top 300 cooperatives generate
2.4 trillions USD in turnover
Cooperatives provide jobs or work opportunities to
280 million people across the globe

Latest cooperative news

A new social economy think-tank aiming…

The IYC website showingthe logo, map and menu options

Following the global launch of the…

The 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) was…

If cooperativism was…

Our work

The International Cooperative Alliance advocates the interests and success of cooperatives.
Unite

Unite

We boost inter-cooperation, bringing together cooperative members, providing support instruments and disseminating know-how.
Promote

Promote

We are the custodians of the cooperative identity and we endeavour to create an environment that allow cooperatives to be established and grow.
Develop

Develop

We provide individuals and communities with an instrument of self-help and influence over their development.

We Are Cooperatives

Discover what the ICA offers to cooperative organisations worldwide

REGIONS & SECTORS

Surf the map to have a snapshot of our regional organisations. Click on the icons to access our sectoral organisations.
Cooperatives Europe

Cooperatives Europe represents 141 million cooperators, uniting, promoting and developing cooperative enterprises across all business sectors in the European region.

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ICA Asia and the Pacific

The International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific is the regional organisation uniting, promoting and developing cooperative enterprises across all business sectors in Asia and the Pacific.

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Cooperatives of the Americas

Cooperatives of the Americas (formerly ICA-Americas) represents, supports and links around one hundred entities, including confederations, federations and primary cooperatives in the north, central, south and Caribbean region of the Americas.

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The Alliance Africa

International Cooperative Alliance – Africa (The Alliance Africa) serves, unites and represents ICA member organizations in Africa and promotes and strengthens autonomous and viable cooperatives throughout the region.

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ICAO

The International Co-operative Agricultural Organisation (ICAO) is the global representative of agricultural cooperatives. Founded in 1951, it's one of the International Co-operative Alliance's eight sectoral organizations. 

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Banking

The International Cooperative Bank Association is a sectoral organisation established to promote the development of banking cooperatives around the world.

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Cooperative Consumers Worldwide

Consumer Co-operatives Worldwide (CCW) unites, represents, and defends the interests of organizations of consumer cooperatives around the globe.

 

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Fisheries

The International Fish Cooperative Organisation (ICFO) is a sectoral organisation established to promote the development of fisheries cooperatives around the world, to promote trade, to share co-operative training and education materials as well as information on fishery matters.

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Health care

The International Health Cooperative Organisation is a Sectoral Organisation of the ICA, created to promote the development of health cooperatives and provide information about their nature and role to international agencies and bodies.

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Housing

Co-operative Housing International is one of the eight sectoral organisations of the International Cooperative Alliance. It was established to promote the development of cooperative housing in all countries, and in particular developing countries, as an economic and social contribution to the problem of providing shelter.

 

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Insurance

International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) is the only global representative body of the cooperative and mutual insurance sector.

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CICOPA

CICOPA is the International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives, a sector organisation of the International Cooperative Alliance since 1947.

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Select a sectorial organization
Select a sectorial organization

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Events

From 11 to 13 June 2025, the ICA CCR Europe 2025 Conference will take place in Helsinki, Finland.

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The Institut international des coopératives Alphonse-et-Dorimène-Desjardins (IICADD), together wi

Conference or Summit
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Publications