Ariel Guarco of Argentina has been re-elected President of the Global Board of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) for the 2026–2030 term at the ICA General Assembly held in Panama on September 15.
Guarco was the sole candidate for the presidency, while the General Assembly also elected 15 At-Large Directors from among candidates representing different countries. IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani was elected as an At-Large Director, giving India representation on the ICA Global Board.
Congratulating Guarco on his re-election, Sanghani extended his best wishes to the ICA President for his new mandate and expressed hope that the global cooperative movement would continue to strengthen its role in addressing emerging challenges and promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
Guarco brings extensive experience at both national and international levels. His association with the cooperative movement began in his hometown of Coronel Pringles in Argentina, where he became involved with the local Electric Cooperative at a young age and eventually rose to become its president.
He has headed the Federation of Electric and Public Services Cooperatives of Buenos Aires Province (FEDECOBA) since 2008 and has been President of the Cooperative Confederation of Argentina (COOPERAR) since 2011.
His international cooperative journey includes serving on the ICA Global Board since 2013 and as a Board member of Cooperatives of the Americas from 2014 to 2018. He was first elected ICA President in 2017 at the General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur and was re-elected for a second term in 2022 at Seville.
During his earlier tenure, Guarco placed emphasis on strengthening interaction among the ICA’s regional and sectoral organisations and consolidating spaces for youth and gender within the global cooperative movement. His leadership also focused on greater integration and participation of cooperatives across regions.
The latest election thus gives Guarco another four-year mandate at a time when cooperatives globally are confronting economic, technological, social and environmental challenges. The new Global Board will work on policy direction, international cooperation and strengthening the collective voice of cooperatives across sectors and regions.
CICOPA, the International Organisation of Industrial, Artisanal and Service Producers’ Cooperatives, also congratulated Guarco and the newly elected Board members, expressing hope that the new mandate would translate into meaningful action for cooperatives worldwide.
