The International Co-operative Alliance welcomed the National Yuva Co-operative Society (NYCS) from India in May and the Dutch Council for Cooperatives from the Netherlands in June.
A multistate, multipurpose youth cooperative society NYCS creates opportunities for youth via activities aimed at improving their skills, entrepreneurship, leadership and civic involvement. It includes over 1,200 individual members, four cooperatives and 1,205 youth clubs. Through ICA membership it hopes to get updates on cooperatives around the world and collaborate with other cooperatives from across the world. It is the first youth cooperative joining the ICA network.
The Nationale Coöperatieve Raad (NCR) – Dutch Council for Cooperatives is an apex that represents all cooperative sectors in the Netherlands. Founded in 1935 by agricultural cooperatives, NCR is a member of Cogeca, the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the European Union, and of Cooperatives Europe, a regional organisation of the ICA. NCR is also one of the founders of Agriterra which provides expert advice to farmer organisations and cooperatives in developing economies.
The ICA has now 320 member organisations of which 278 are full members and 42 are Associate Members from 111 countries.
