International RAIFFEISEN Union (IRU)

The International Raiffeisen Union (IRU) is an association founded in 1968 in Neuwied, Germany, headquartered near Bonn. Its creation marked the 150th anniversary of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen’s birth, whose concepts of self-help, self-responsibility, and self-administration shaped the cooperative movement. IRU’s membership encompasses 61 organizations from 36 countries, spanning developed and developing economies. The IRU serves as a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences among its members, aiming to adapt Raiffeisen’s principles to contemporary challenges. Originally formed in an era with very different economic realities, the organization has evolved over more than fifty years to stay relevant. The IRU’s mission revolves around promoting effective cooperative frameworks and supporting a member-focused approach. By fostering dialogue among national cooperative organizations, the IRU seeks to prevent missteps and inefficient practices in developing cooperative systems. A notable activity of the IRU includes organizing conferences and knowledge-sharing events among cooperatives from regions including Germany, Austria, Brazil, Kenya, and others. In 2018, IRU commemorated its 50th anniversary with a global reunion in Koblenz, where modern cooperative issues and regulatory frameworks were discussed. The IRU is involved in projects that highlight cooperative heritage and values, such as producing a documentary for Raiffeisen’s 200th anniversary. The scope of the IRU’s work is primarily focused on advocacy, education, and networking to support over 900,000 cooperatives worldwide, which collectively account for around 500 million members across more than 100 countries.