The ICA Global Conference is drawing near, and the registration deadline is approaching quickly. With over 1,000 registrations already recorded, enthusiasm for the event is unprecedented. As the final date for registration on November 15th draws closer, organizers, including IFFCO, the Ministry of Cooperation, and the NCUI, are urging people not to miss this historic cooperative event—the first of its kind to be held in India.
Recently, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) held a virtual Steering Committee (SC) meeting to review preparations for the Global Cooperative Conference (GCC), which is set to take place in New Delhi from November 25th to 29th, 2024. The meeting was convened by Mr. Jeroen Douglas, Director-General of ICA, and included notable attendees such as Mrs. Savitri Singh, Deputy Chief Executive of NCUI, and Mr. Santosh Kumar, ICA Director of Legislation, who outlined the conference program.
So far, the conference has received 900 registrations, with 450 participants guaranteed to attend. Organizers anticipate a turnout of around 2,000 Indian cooperators, over 150 young participants, 50 exhibitors, and a substantial presence of media representatives and journalists.
As the November 15th deadline approaches, participants will soon receive joining instructions that will outline items they are allowed to bring to the conference. Mr. Joseph Njuguna, ICA Director of Policy, introduced the IYC2025 Programme during the meeting, which will feature the unveiling of the IYC2025 flag and a commemorative postal stamp.
The Prime Minister of India has been invited to attend, and confirmation is awaited. Key dignitaries expected to join include representatives from UN-ECOSOC, the Prime Ministers of Bhutan, the Deputy Prime Ministers of Fiji and Mongolia, and the UN Chief of DESA.
The United Nations’ 2025 International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) will officially commence at the conference’s opening at Bharat Mandapam. The event will begin at 3 p.m., with speakers and distinguished guests from the ICA, the United Nations, and governments around the world sharing their visions for the year, setting the tone for the conference’s theme: “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”
Delegates are encouraged to attend in their national dress, symbolizing the cooperative movement’s global nature and its mission to create a better world. The evening will include a welcome dinner and a screening of The Rochdale Pioneers, a film that recounts the story of the first cooperatives in the UK during the 19th century, commissioned by the UK’s Cooperative Group for the UN International Year of Cooperatives in 2012.
The Rochdale Pioneer Awards will also be announced that evening, honoring individuals or organizations that have made a significant impact on the cooperative movement. This celebration will follow a roundtable discussion among ICA members, apex federations, and government representatives on strategies for the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives.
With the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World,” IYC2025 will emphasize the role of cooperatives in advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the cooperative model’s potential to foster sustainable development on a global scale.
