June 3, 2026
Istanbul, Turkey
11–18 July 2026
Hotel Mercia
The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) is convening its General Meeting from 11 to 18 July 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. This pivotal gathering will bring together delegates, regional representatives, working group members, and civil society organisations from across the globe to collectively shape the direction of the IPC for the years ahead.
Hosted at the Hotel Mercia in Istanbul, the General Meeting represents a landmark moment: 2026 marks 30 years of the IPC’s work in defending and advancing the rights of small-scale food producers worldwide.
This General Meeting is an opportunity to re-affirm our shared mandate, renew our political goals, and commit collectively to implementing the Nyéléni Common Political Action Agenda.
Four goals of the General Meeting
The week-long programme is structured around four central objectives, each the subject of dedicated plenary and working group sessions:
| Goal 1
Re-affirm the IPC mandate and political goals |
Goal 2
Evaluate and improve the IPC governance structure |
| Goal 3
Approve the IPC action plan for the biennium 2026–2028 |
Goal 4
Agree on IPC commitments towards implementing the Nyéléni CPAA |
In addition to these four goals, the meeting will include a dedicated session on the role of IPC participation in the FAO space, including a meeting with the FAO Programme Support Unit Director.
Programme overview
The meeting is structured to combine pre-General Meeting assemblies with full plenary days, a field trip, and a closing cultural night.
| Sat, July 11 | Arrival of staff and IPC Facilitation Committee members and interpreters |
| Sun, July 12
Day 0 |
Arrival of delegates; preparatory assemblies — women & diversities (organised by the WG on Women and Diversities), youth (organised by the WG on Youth), IPC regional assemblies, and IPC working group meetings |
| Mon, July 13 Day 1 |
Opening mistica (ECA Region) · Welcome from Birlik · IPC mandate: 30 years of history, evaluation outcomes, and parallel group work on renewed political goals |
| Tue, July 14 Day 2 |
Plenary restitution on mandate & political goals · IPC governance: evaluation, parallel groups on new structure, open discussion
|
| Wed, July 15 Day 3 |
Nyéléni CPAA: presentation, Q&A, proposals from the Facilitation Committee, and agreements toward the Global Steering Committee · Biennium action plan: regional presentations |
| Thu, July 16 Day 4 |
Field trip (TBD)
|
| Fri, July 17 Day 5 |
IPC and FAO: 30 years of engagement, current CFS situation, follow-up actions · Working group presentations for 2027–28 action plan |
| Sat, July 18 Day 6 |
Draft agreements of the GM 2026: discussion, finalisation · Closing mistica (LAC Region) · Closing cultural night · Departure of all delegates |
Venue
Hotel Mercia — Istanbul, Turkey
The General Meeting is an internal gathering for IPC member organisations and delegates. Further logistical information will be shared directly with confirmed participants. For questions, please contact the IPC Secretariat through the IPC website.