The main objective of the IACCP is to facilitate communication and cooperation among cross-cultural psychologists around the world. Past IACCP congresses were held in various parts of the world, but the most recent congress was the first to take place in South Africa. Close to 600 national and international delegates attended the congress, themed "Nurturing Diversity for Sustainable Development". The congress aimed to improve and facilitate the visibility of South African and African psychology in the world of psychology and of cross-cultural psychology in particular.

Another major outcome of the congress was a meeting between William K Gabrenya Jr, Professor of Cultural and Social Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, USA, and the Secretary-General of the IACCP, Prof Deon Meiring from the University of Pretoria, Prof Leon Jackson, the congress organisers for IACCP 2012 and Prof Karel Stanz from the University of Pretoria and President elect of SIOPSA, to discuss the creation of a cross-cultural interest group under SIOPSA to improve cross-cultural psychology in South Africa.