International Cocoa Organisation welcomes Colombia into its membership

The International Cocoa Organisation has confirmed that it has completed a two-year process to appoint Colombia as a full member country, as it continues its mission to support sustainability within the sector, writes Neill Barston.

Headquartered in Ivory Coast, the body now totals 52 nations, and was created in 1973 under the auspices of the United Nations and operating within the framework of successive global industry agreements.

Mr Iván Duque, President of the Republic of Colombia, signed into law the bill for Colombia’s accession to the ICCO during an event attended by both representatives of the Colombian cocoa sector and a delegation from the ICCO, headed by its Executive Director, Mr Michel Arrion.

Colombia’s accession will expand the ICCO’s membership, with 23 exporting Member countries and 29 importing Member countries. Colombia will be the ninth Member country in the Latin America and Caribbean region, joining Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.omic, social, and environmental sustainability of the cocoa value chain, and in particular to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers.

During its history, the organisation has acted as a centre for knowledge and innovation in the world cocoa economy; as a platform for institutional cooperation to foster dialogue among its Member countries and between key stakeholders in the cocoa value chain; and as a source of technical assistance for its member countries.

Welcoming the news, the ICCO Executive Director Mr Michel Arrion said: “We are pleased to welcome Colombia as the 52nd Member of the ICCO. Colombia’s membership is tangible proof of our shared commitment to achieve a more sustainable world cocoa economy through enhanced cooperation between exporting and importing countries”.

During its stay in Colombia, the ICCO delegation also had the opportunity to liaise with relevant Colombian associations, such as Fedecacao, which played a key role in the completion of this process, and with private sector representatives, and visited one of the main cocoa producing regions in the country.