Carlos Zarco renews his term on the ICA board
The meeting has reaffirmed the transformative role of the cooperative enterprise as a driver of economic progress and worldwide social cohesion.
Between 13 and 18 September 2026, the Panama Convention Centre became the epicentre of the cooperative business community with the holding of the World Conference and General Assembly of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). Under the motto Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions to a World at Peace, more than 1,100 executives and representatives from 80 countries met in the Panamanian capital to define the lines of action of this international body that represents a democratic, people-centred economic model.
The central milestone of the meeting was the adoption of the Panama Declaration, a document that formally proclaims cooperative enterprises as indispensable drivers of peace, social justice and global stability.
Renewal of the ICA’s leadership
In the framework of the elective General Assembly, held on 15 September, the ICA board of directors was renewed for the 2026–2030 term. The assembly ratified the position of board member of the director general of the Fundación Espriu, Carlos Zarco, representing the health sector. Likewise, Ariel Guarco was re-elected as president of the organisation, while Íñigo Albizuri renewed his position in the governing body representing the Spanish cooperative business sector.
Taking advantage of its presence in Panama, the Fundación Espriu delegation maintained an intensive institutional agenda. Among its most notable meetings, the representatives of the organisation met with the president, Dr Álex Ortega, and the main leaders of the Cooperativa Profesionales de Panamá, an organisation that brings together doctors, strengthening inter-institutional collaboration.
The expansion of health cooperativism in Panamá
At the same time, the Fundación Espriu took part in a strategic meeting with the Ministry of Health of Panama and the representatives of the health cooperatives present in Panama. The meeting, promoted by the Instituto Panameño Autónomo Cooperativo (IPACOOP), a governmental body dedicated to promoting the creation of cooperative enterprises in Panama, aimed to link the Panamanian Government and those responsible for the health system with health cooperativism on a regional and global scale.
The conference also featured a broad programme of parallel events, including a special session dedicated to the cooperative approach to artificial intelligence. For its part, the Cooperative Law Committee organised the 9th Continental Congress on Law and the 2nd International Symposium on Cooperative Law, forums in which it was analysed how the legal framework must advance to adapt to the reality of the cooperative enterprise.
The Panama meeting has reaffirmed the transformative role of the cooperative enterprise as a driver of economic progress and social cohesion throughout the world.
