Sunday 13 September at 15:00 Panama time
The next International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Youth Committee Annual Plenary Meeting is scheduled to take place on September 13, 2026, in Panama. This significant gathering serves as the primary forum for young cooperators to review work plans, report on progress, and participate in critical leadership elections.
Leadership Elections
During this plenary, eligible members will vote to elect the next leadership team for a four-year term:
- One (1) President: The global representative for young cooperators who will also serve as the Youth Representative on the ICA Board.
- Four (4) Members at Large: One representative from each ICA region responsible for facilitating regional engagement and supporting the Executive Committee’s goals.
Participation and Voting Eligibility
- Nominated Representatives: ICA member organizations may nominate two youth representatives under the age of 35 to the Youth Committee.
- Voting Rights: Only nominated representatives or their authorized proxies may cast a vote.
- Observers: Member organizations are welcome to send any number of observers, who have the right to participate in discussions.
Call for Nominations
We are seeking motivated young leaders (aged 31 or younger at the time of nomination to ensure they remain under 35 throughout their term) to help implement our next four-year work plan.
Key Nomination Deadlines:
- Nomination Submission: All nomination forms and supporting documents (CV, photo, bio, and motivation letter) must be submitted to Ingrid Colanero at colanero@ica.coop no later than July 15, 2026.
- Membership Applications: Organizations wishing to apply for membership to participate in the meeting must do so at least six weeks prior to the event.
Timeline & Form Requirements
The ICA YC will hold its next Annual Plenary Meeting on 13 September 2026 in Panama. If you would like to submit a nomination for the President, send this nomination form to Mrs. Ingrid Colanero at colanero@ica.coop no later than 15th July 2026 with the subject line “ICA YC Nomination” along with the following documents:
- The nomination form duly signed and completed.
- Full curriculum vitae (CV) of the candidate.
- A photo of the candidate.
- Short bio of the candidate to be used for social media purposes (no more than 200 words).
- Motivation letter by the candidate explaining WHY the candidate is interested in the position.
- A short video that will be posted on the youth network website (no more than 3 minutes).
Please take into consideration that any nomination form that arrives after 15th July 2026 will not be considered valid.
Call for Nominations: ICA Youth Committee (ICA YC) President
Qualifications:
Candidates for the position must:
- Have full financial support from their nominating organisation that would pay for all the expenses of the person to be nominated. The budget should envision participation in four international events per year including the ICA Board, ICA General Assembly and the Youth Committee.
- Take part in regular electronic meetings of the Executive Committee.
The Youth Committee recommends, based on past experience, that candidates:
- Be able to speak and write in English, but not exclusively, in order to facilitate communication. Executive Committee members must arrange for their own interpretation if they do not speak English.
- Have knowledge of youth issues, youth participation and the cooperative movement.
- Be able to convey and amplify the views of youth and their diversity at the global level. Be able to use various communications tools including social media to convey important messages to youth globally.
- Have time to dedicate to the Global Youth Committee and its network. This is not only a representative role, but the candidates will also be part of the team that does the work to make the Youth Committee work plan successful.
- Ensure that you do not exceed the age of 35 before the end of the term of office (before the end of 2030).
For further details on candidate qualifications and the weightage-based election methodology, please refer to the official Rules of the ICA Youth Committee.
Download the relevant documentation below.