The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation established in 1895 to unite, represent and serve cooperatives worldwide. It provides a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about cooperatives. The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations from all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and workers. They come from one hundred countries, representing one billion individuals worldwide. The cooperative movement operates a central office in Brussels and four regional offices for Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The ICA structure also has sectoral organisations for cooperatives active in agriculture, industry and services, consumer-retail, banking, fisheries, health, housing and insurance. The International Cooperative Alliance is the custodian of the cooperative values and principles and makes the case for the distinctive values-based economic cooperative business model which also provides individuals and communities with an instrument of self-help and influence of their development. The ICA advocates the interests and success of cooperatives, disseminates best practices and know-how, strengthens their capacity building and monitors their and progress over time.