Co-operatives and care take centre stage at ICAAP 2026

7 October 2026

The role of co-operatives in shaping the future of care

Day two of the 20th ICA Asia-Pacific Research Conference, held at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, kicked off with an important discussion on the role of co-operatives in building a more inclusive and sustainable care economy.

As populations age across the Asia-Pacific region, care is emerging as one of the defining social and economic challenges of our time.

The Cooperatives and Care panel brought together Osamu Nakanu of CICOPA Asia and Pacific, Bharti Birla from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Nick Hislop, representing the Care Together Program and Mutual Care Services, for a discussion on how co-operative models can help meet growing care needs while supporting workers, communities and care recipients. Associate Professor Paul Thambar, Director of the Mutual Value Lab at Monash Business School, moderated the session.

The discussion highlighted the potential for co-operatives to contribute practical, member-centred solutions to one of the region’s most pressing challenges and reinforced the importance of collaboration between researchers, practitioners and policymakers.