ICA - ROAP - BRIEF NOTES

International Co-operative Alliance - Asia & Pacific

An international organization committed for the promotion and development of co-operatives in the spirit of ICA’s Co-operative Identity Statement (ICIS).

Vision

To be prized as the organization of reference which provides an effective and efficient global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and coordinated action for and about co-operatives.

What do we do

ICA, a global networking organization organized at the global, regional, sectoral and thematic levels, is a world-wide representative of co-operative organizations of all kinds.

ICA is the custodian of co-operative values and principles enshrined in the ICIS and its principal role is to provide forum for the exchange of ideas, experiences, concerns and trade among co-operatives.

ICA over the years has been lobbying with the governments for the creation of favorable policy environment for the development of cooperatives and advising necessary improvements in the cooperative legislation for better regulation of the cooperatives.

ICA is also seen as the organization capable of catalyzing & mobilizing thought churning process on relevant contextual issues affecting co-operatives at global and national levels.

ICA promotes sustainable human development and further the economic and social progress of people duly ensuring equality between men and women in all decision making and activities within co-operative movement.

History

The International Co-operative Alliance - Asia & Pacific is one of the operating regional offices of the ICA, the world confederation of co-operatives in existence since 1895 and presently head quartered in Geneva.

ICA has 225 member organizations worldwide from 87 countries of which 59 member organizations come from 23 countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Most of the members of ICA are national level co-operative organizations that serve all types of co-operatives operating in all sectors of national economies including those engaged in agricultural production and marketing, wholesale and retail, small and medium scale industries, financial services, insurance, housing, transport, health and other services.

Over 530 million individual members get benefited from the services of these co-operatives in the Asia Pacific region.

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific was opened in 1960 and is presently located at 9, Aradhana Enclave, Sector 13, R.K.Puram, Ring Road, New Delhi 110066, India.

ICA also has a sub-office in Singapore since 1999 to promote ICA’s business interests.

Objects of ICA AP

Promote the regional cooperative movement and facilitate global integration of cooperative movement;

Promote and protect co-operative values and principles;

Facilitate the development of economic and other mutually beneficial relations between / among its member organizations;

Promote sustainable human development and further the economic and social progress of people thereby contributing to international peace and security;

Promote equality between men and women in all decision-making and activities within the co-operative movement.

Operations

ICA AP seeks to obtain its objects by:

Serving as a forum for exchange of experience and as a source of information on co-operative development, research and statistics;

Coordinating actions for the promotion of co-operative development;

Collaborating with the global and regional institutions and with governmental and non-governmental international and national organizations, which pursue aims and importance to co-operatives.