The 17th ICA-AP Regional Assembly continued vibrantly in Sri Lanka with dynamic breakout sessions shaping the future of the cooperative movement. The second breakout session, titled “Framing Cooperative Prosperity Through Progressive Policy,” drew significant attention for its focus on building enabling policy environments across the Asia-Pacific region.
The session was powerfully chaired by Prof. Ann Apps, Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia, who guided discussions on strengthening cooperative resilience and promoting inclusive growth through forward-looking policies.
Eminent speakers included Pankaj Kumar Bansal, IAS, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, and Managing Director of NCDC; Abdel Fattah Al-Shalabi, Director General of the Jordan Cooperative Corporation (JCC); and Upali Herath, Chairperson of the National Institute of Cooperative Development.
The panel emphasised concrete policy pathways to boost cooperative competitiveness, enhance member welfare, and advance sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific cooperative ecosystem.
