From 17^th to 21^st of October 2011, the Academy of German Cooperatives (ADG) together with the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV) organized the third International Cooperative Dialogue ICD on the subject of “HRD & Training – Key Success Factors of the Cooperative Business Model”. The five days international conference took place in Montabaur Castle and was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).

Participants of the conference were decision makers in the field of Human Resources Development, i.e. employees of international financial institutions, cooperative banks, development banks and organizations, policy makers from relevant ministries, national and international donor organizations. The conference topic found great acceptance, and participants emphasized its high relevance for the practice. The conference brought together participants from 17 different countries, such as India, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uganda, Ghana, Swaziland and Switzerland.

The goal was to increase the understanding on the importance of personnel development and the challenges in this area, and to identify success factors. It was necessary to consider the respective national characteristics, and at the same time work out general solutions. Different structures, processes and tools were discussed on the basis of "good practice" examples from different countries. The presentations, workshops and facilitated discussions served the purpose of a lively exchange of experiences.

Top speakers gave interesting technical contributions, and the lectures were complemented by workshops on relevant particular topics. The interventions of representatives from the cooperative network, relevant European institutions and various development organizations, also contributed to the success of the conference, as well as the discussions with the international specialist audience.

To give the participants an insight into the cooperative practice in Germany, a local cooperative bank and an agricultural cooperative were visited. These visits with the closing event in the wine cooperative in Mayschoss as well as the pleasant atmosphere at Montabaur Castle, facilitated the construction of networks between participants and institutions, which will be of great benefit for the development of the cooperative model around the world.