Moshi Cooperative University (MoCU), a leading university established by the cooperative movement in Tanzania, hosted on 11 and 12 February the 5th ICA International Forum on Cooperative Law. The event brought together, for the first time in Africa, an international community of legal scholars, policymakers and cooperative professionals, both in person and online, who examined the evolving role of cooperative law through plenary debates, thematic presentations and parallel sessions.
The event was jointly organised by MoCU, the Ius Cooperative Association and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) through its Global Committee on Cooperative Law, under the theme “Cooperative law and sustainable development: past, present and future”. It was led by Alphonce Mbuya and Mathias Nkuhi, PhD holders from MoCU, in collaboration with members of ICA’s global and regional law networks, including Professor Hagen Henry, Chair of the ICA Committee on Cooperative Law.
Professor Alfred Sife, Vice-Chancellor of the Cooperative University of Moshi, opened the Forum alongside Professor Hagen Henrÿ.
The forum featured prominent figures from the international cooperative sector, including Rose Karimi, Regional Director of the International Cooperative Alliance in Africa, who highlighted key initiatives underway on the continent, such as the development of a regional course in Cooperative Law, the second phase of the Framework Partnership Agreement (PPAFPA) and the forthcoming publication on African Principles of Cooperative Law.
Jeroen Douglas, Director General of the ICA, and Santosh Kumar, Director of Legislation, also participated. Kumar analysed the implications for cooperatives of the Advisory Opinion on Climate Change issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2025.
During the second day, Ifigeneia Douvitsa examined the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning cooperatives. María Amparo Grau Ruiz, from the Complutense University of Madrid, questioned the limited presence of cooperatives in international tax policy debates, despite their economic and social relevance.
The sessions also addressed emerging issues such as gender equality in cooperative legislation, the role of women-led cooperatives in climate resilience, youth participation, and legal frameworks in countries such as Benin.
The Forum concluded with reflections from the ICA Cooperative Law Committee, which identified priorities to strengthen these legal frameworks globally. In the closing session, Hagen Henrÿ defended the role of cooperatives as key instruments to promote the human right to sustainable development, as well as the need for national and international legislative frameworks that support and promote cooperative entrepreneurship.
