The International Cooperative Alliance is happy to welcome the Cooperativa de Trabajos Portuarios Limitada de San Martin (Coop Portuaria) from Argentine and Union of Housing Cooperatives in Palestine (PUHC) from Palestine as a full Members in September 2018.
The members of Coop Portuaria are port workers that decided to form the workers cooperative during a strike in the 1960's, with the approval of the government. It is located on the port of the Paraná River, the largest agro-exporting port in Argentina. Its 92 cooperators (figures 2017) provide port stowage, cleaning of ships, bagged, loading and unloading of bulk cargo, movements of bulk in horizontal, loading and unloading in underground silos.
It supports the development of national and multinational companies installing new factories and terminals of boarding with the latest technology to improve the service of foreign trade. This cooperative works together with 23 other partner cooperatives throughout the country.
Website: www.cooportuaria.com
The Union of Housing Cooperatives in Palestine seeks to support the collective efforts of individuals and/or groups from the middle to low-income strata to obtain decent housing. Its members are voluntarily linked as co-operative housing associations. The Federation aspires to contribute to guaranteeing the right of Palestinians to live decently and to strengthen the ability of Palestinians to maintain their land by enabling them to build on all Palestinian territories.
PUHC has a project with We Effect (Sweden). Their goal is to create a suitable housing model for low-income people
Website: www.puhc.ps
The Japan Cooperative General Research Institute (JC-Soken) was reorganized into the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA) on 1 April 2018. Since, they are now the apex organisation representing the movement in Japan, they are eligible as a full Member. Previously they were an Associate Member as a support organisation for cooperatives.
The objective of JCA is to ensure the sound development of cooperatives and contribute to better lives and job creation in local communities. Their tasks are to:
- Promote cooperatives
- Recommend policy and public relations
- Education, study and research
- Hold study meetings and seminars
Their members can be individuals or groups incorporated in cooperatives.
UPDATED MEMBER STATISTICS
The newest membership statistics are therefore:
318 member organisations of which 273 are full members and 45 are Associate Members from 110 countries.
