The ICA-AP held its Regional Board Meeting online on 26 August 2021. Mr. Li Chunsheng, Chairperson of the Regional Board extended a warm welcome to members who joined from China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, and Singapore. The agenda items included – regional assembly, regional board elections, and update from the Special Committee on deconsolidation of ICA-AP financial accounts.
Mr. Sung-Hee Lee, Chairman, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF), Korea, the host country for the 33rd World Cooperative Congress 2021, invited all the board members to actively participate in the Congress.
The Regional Assembly in its online meeting had approved board elections to be held in person in November during the ICA Congress. Since the Congress is taking place in a hybrid manner, the AP Board wanted to consider the possibility of holding elections in hybrid manner and ascertained the validity with the ICA Global Office. Based on the affirmative response, the board approved holding elections in hybrid manner. The ICA-AP Elections Secretariat demonstrated the electronic voting system to the board members.
Ms. Arai, Chair of the Special Committee (SC) on Deconsolidation of ICA-AP Financial Accounts, recommended the Board wait for the Global Board to decide on the matter before moving forward. The SC also recommended the Regional Board consider constituting a permanent committee to provide oversight over the region's financial health, monitoring and follow-up the developments on deconsolidation and legal status.
Mr. Iyer presented the key activities undertaken by the regional office like the Consultations on the Cooperative Identity with Philippines, Iran, Nepal, India, ASEAN and MENA region countries; consultation with ICA-AP thematic and sectoral committees, and activities carried out by the committees. He informed the board that four new members have joined since the last board meeting in February 2021 and ICA-AP currently has 113 members from 31 countries.
The acting Chairperson of the Women’s Committee, Ms. Chitose Arai, presented the activities carried out by the committee in 2021 so far. The Vice-Chairperson of the Youth Committee, Mr. Alireza Banaefir, presented a brief activity report. The efforts of both the committees were much appreciated by Mr Li Chunsheng.
The next Regional Board Meeting will be held in hybrid mode on 29 November 2021, and the Regional Assembly and Board Elections will be held in hybrid mode on 30 November 2021 in Seoul, Korea.
