PNN
Panama City [Panama], September 22: In a landmark moment for the global cooperative movement, Harsh Sanghani — recognised worldwide as a Global Youth Leader and Global Youth Cooperative Leader — has been re-elected President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Youth Committee and confirmed as Youth Representative to the ICA Global Board, at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and Elective General Assembly held in Panama City. In an extraordinary and historic outcome, he stood entirely unopposed — with not a single rival candidate contesting the position — an almost unprecedented distinction in the Committee's history and an emphatic, unanimous endorsement of his leadership by young cooperators across the world.
The re-election comes just over a year after Sanghani first made history at the Festival of Cooperatives in Manchester on 3 July 2025, when he became the first person of Asian origin ever elected to lead the ICA Youth Committee and, at 20, the youngest board member in the Alliance's history. With this unopposed second term, he has now made history twice in little over a year — a feat with few, if any, parallels in the Alliance's history — cementing his place as one of the most influential young leaders in the global cooperative movement today.
During his first term, Sanghani is credited with transforming the Youth Committee into a more active, connected global network — introducing regular town halls, deepening collaboration with regional youth committees, expanding youth representation in international forums, and advancing dialogue on mentorship, education, entrepreneurship, innovation, and cooperative policy.
Looking ahead, Sanghani has laid out a five-point agenda for his second term:
1. Developing Cooperative Leaders for the Future — launching a global Cooperative Leadership Masterclass focused on youth and women leaders, and establishing a Global Cooperative Leadership Academy with a dedicated youth stream for intergenerational learning.
2. Expanding Access to Cooperative Education — building CoopEdTech, a multilingual, open-source Cooperative Learning Platform offering learning resources, mentorship, and leadership pathways to young cooperators worldwide.
3. Promoting Innovation and Future-Ready Cooperatives — developing a Global Innovation and Emerging Industries Incubator to support youth-led cooperative ventures in artificial intelligence, climate technology, biotechnology, and digital platforms.
4. Strengthening Youth Representation in Policy and Governance — establishing a Global Youth Cooperative Policy Forum for structured dialogue between young cooperators and decision-makers, and deepening engagement with bodies such as the United Nations.
5. Building an Inclusive and Connected Global Community — expanding town halls and regional engagement, and conducting a global study on youth and women's participation in cooperatives.
"This is not the end of a chapter — it is the beginning of the most important one," Sanghani said following the results.
"Young people are not just the future of the cooperative movement; we are already shaping its present. Over the next term, our focus is to turn that energy into lasting structures — in leadership, education, innovation, and policy — that empower young cooperators everywhere to lead, not just participate."
Sanghani will continue to represent the voice of young cooperators at the highest levels of ICA governance, working alongside the Global Board to advance the Alliance's mission across its member organisations worldwide.
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About the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA): The ICA is the apex global body representing cooperatives and the cooperative movement worldwide.
About Harsh Sanghani: Harsh Sanghani is a Global Youth Leader and Global Youth Cooperative Leader, serving as President of the ICA Youth Committee and Youth Representative to the ICA Global Board. He has represented youth cooperators at global platforms including the ECOSOC Partnership Forum and the ICBA Symposium at the United Nations, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost young voices shaping the future of the international cooperative movement.
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Harsh Sanghani Re-elected Unopposed as President of the International Cooperative Alliance Youth Committee, Retains Seat on ICA Global Board
