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ICA

ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 221 member organisations from 88 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent more than 800 million individuals worldwide.

General Assembly

Demutualisation Watch

Seatholders of the Bond Exchange of South Africa (BESA) have voted in favour of demutualisation.

96% of the votes cast were in favour of demutualisation.

Pending the approval of the Register of Securities Services, the Bond Exchange will become a public company with limited liability and will change its name to BESA Limited.

icanews f or these and other demutualisation stories.

Visit ICA demutualisation page.  

Co-op Facts

In Colombia, the over 7,300 co-operatives are responsible for 5.61% of the GDP in 2007 - up from 5.37% in 2006 and 5.25% in 2005. They employ over 110,000 people and some sectors are providing a significant proportion of the jobs - 24.4% of all health sector jobs are provided by co-operatives, 18.3% of the jobs in the transport sector, 8.3% in agriculture and 7.21% of the jobs in the financial sector. (Source: Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2007) More co-op facts.  

Members Offer

ICA communications services to members

Installation of icanews feed box on member's websites.
Exchange of logos - encouraging greater links between ICA and its members, including a new ICA Members Logo.
Free distribution of the ICA Digest to your members of members.

Latest from
icanews.coop

Farm Credit System in USA reports first Quarter 2008 combined Results, ELCA endorses Church Mutual Insurance Company, Italian wine co-operatives join forces and Regional health co-op discussed. Read these and more news  about co-operation and co-operatives.


View previous polls...

View Out of Poverty poll

Latest from icanews.coop

Recent News

Re-launch of the ICA Africa website www.icaafrica.coop

This is an important milestone in the restructuring of ICA Africa. The website will give more visibility to ICA Africa by providing information on regional office activities as well as include news feeds to track media coverage of the African co-operative movement.

ICA Director-General visits the ICA EXPO 2008 exhibition site in Portugal

Mr. Iain Macdonald, Director-General of the International Co-operative Alliance visited Lisbon on 5-6 August to meet with the ICA Expo team and review progress for the Trade Fair and related events. Accompanied by ICA's Deputy Director-General, Ms. Maria-Elena Chavez Hertig, the ICA officials visited the venue of the Trade Fair and related meetings as well as the hotels selected for participants of the fair. ICA Expo is expecting participants from over 50 countries, 150 co-operatives, 1,000 co-operators and 15,000 visitors.

ICA's 221st Member - the Fiji Co-operative Union Ltd. (FCUL)

The Fiji Co-operative Union Ltd (FCUL) of Fiji became ICA's 221st member on 11 August, 2008. FCUL is a federation which represents the interests of its members, collects and disseminates statistics on co-operatives, sponsors studies, promotes knowledge of co-operative principles and practices, develops co-operative movements, represents co-operatives with government, audits member co-operatives, and raises funds for co-operative development. FCUL has 236 member societies, representing 8,260 individuals.

ICA lobbying on International Accounting Standards

See recent comments to International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) regarding the potential impacts of changes in accounting standards on co-operative businesses.

2008 ICA Research Conference

2008 ICA Research Conference, "The Role of Co-operatives in sustaining Development and Fostering Social Responsibility," 15-18 October, 2008, Riva del Garda, Trento, Italy. See conference highlights in the preliminary programme which is now available. Further information also available at: http//www.issan.info/ica-index.shtml

New ICA Digest Available Online in English and Russian

The new ICA Digest, Issue 62, July/August 2008 is now available online in English and Russian. See below under Featured Articles for more information.

ICA International Co-operative Day/United Nations International Day of Co-operatives

Theme for 2008: "Confronting Climate Change through Co-operative Enterprise:, 5 July 2008. The ICA Message for 2008 in English, Finnish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese Brazilian, Romanian, Spanish and Vietnamese. The ICA International Co-operative Day/ UN International Day of Co-operatives is celebrated on the first saturday of July every year. Its aim is to increase awareness on co-operatives and promote the movement's successes and ideals of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality and world peace.
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Regional offices

Thematic Committees

Sectoral organisations

Related Sites

Global 300 : an ICA initiative -
Includes the full list of the world's top co-operatives and mutual businesses


Read the latest at icanews.coop


ICA Expo 2008 is for co-operatives and their organisations to participate in a unique trade fair - drawing attention to the quality of co-operative products and services, 23-25 October 2008, Lisbon, Portugal.


Global Co-operative Campaign: Co-operating out of poverty


Visit the ICA Youth network site


Register a .coop internet domain name

Featured Pages

Director-General's Page

The Director-General's Page. Iain Macdonald was appointed Director-General of the ICA in September 2002. The Director-General's Page includes monthly reports and presentations. The most recent presentation was on 24 July 2008 to ICA Americas on "Convenience and scope of social responsibility as public policy." Read also the DG's calendar for the next few months.

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Events 2008