CICOPA

In order to be a member, an organisation must comply with the following:

1. Demonstrate to be one of the following two types of organisations:

• Representative organisations of worker cooperatives, industrial cooperatives, artisan cooperatives, service cooperatives, or social cooperatives, at supra-national, national or sub-national level: full members

• Organisations promoting or willing to promote such cooperatives, be they non-governmental organisations or governmental ones: associated members

2. Its day-to-day leading body (e.g., Board) must have read and approved:

• the ICA Statement on the cooperative identity

• the CICOPA Rules

• the World Declaration on Worker Cooperatives

3. Organisations requesting membership must send the completed list of the following documents to CICOPA by e-mail, fax and postal letter.

3.1. A letter addressed to the CICOPA President including the following contents:

a. Declaration of interest to be member of CICOPA

b. Acknowledgement that the main decision-making body (e.g. Board) has read the CICOPA rules

c. Commitment to fully abide by the CICOPA rules

d. Commitment to fully abide by the ICA Statement on the Cooperative Identity (including the definition, the 10 values and the 7 principles of cooperatives) and to be monitored on this.

e. Commitment to fully abide by the World Declaration on Worker Cooperatives

f. Signature of the main legal representative of the organisation

3.2. A copy (if in English, Spanish or French) or a translation (if in any other language) of the statutes of the organisation or any document having the same function (e.g. charter, bye-law).

3.3. A copy (if in English, Spanish or French) or a translation (if in any other language) of the latest annual report or, in the case of recently established organisations, a copy of the founding mission statement.

3.4. The completed application form (please click here).

All requests for membership will be examined by the CICOPA Executive Committee.

All members of CICOPA must also be either full members, associate members, or members of members of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). The ICA membership requirements can be found at http://ica.coop/en/join-ica/join-now.

Furthermore, members of CICOPA must also be members of their corresponding CICOPA regional organisation if the latter exists, and follow the corresponding membership requirements (approval of the CICOPA regional organisation’s rules, payment of the corresponding fees when it applies). At present, the only active CICOPA regional organisations are CICOPA Americas and CECOP-CICOPA-Europe. For information about membership of CICOPA Americas please contact the CICOPA secretariat. Concerning requirements for membership of CECOP CICOPA Europe, information is available on the following website: http://www.cecop.coop/How-to-become-a-member.html.