The Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation (ISCOD) was created by mandate of the XXXV Congress of UGT Confederal 1989 , rising its constitution and bylaws public deed dated February 1, 1990.

The Confederal Executive Committee held on October 3, 1989 decidedgrant the form of Private Educational Foundation, shaped Non Governmental Organization, and  with legal personality. Registration in the Register of Foundations  is produced by ministerial order of January 15, 1991.

Article   sixth of its statutes established "education and training in trade union and labor and social policy" as a priority objective of the Foundation ", also giving " special attention to the development and strengthening of solidarity between peoples and especially through trade unions in the developing countries, cooperation for economic, social, technical and cultural progress of workers in these countries, and the contribution to the birth   and / or consolidation of the trade union movements in countries with less developed ".

ISCOD began to develop its activity through a headquarters located in Madrid, carrying out cooperative actions in several countries of Latin America, with direct execution of the counterparts in those countries.

In the first years, the governing body (Patronato) and the UGT assume as a priority the involvement of the organization in the different autonomous communities and sectors of intervention of our union. Therefore, in development of article four of its statutes, territorial delegations are created in the various Unions of Autonomous Communities, which begin to develop various awareness campaigns targeted at members and affiliates as well as   the whole of the Spanish population, to cover Practically all the Spanish territory.

At the end of the 1990s, and also according to the provisions of the same article, delegations begin to be established in the beneficiary countries, especially in Latin American countries, the first being that of Peru.