World Bank's Center of Excellence on Cooperative Financial Institutions (CoE-CFI)
CFI International Symposium, 16-17 November 2023

Mobilizing local capital for sustainable development –
how to strengthen Cooperative Financial Institutions

Lessons learned from efforts to strengthen Cooperative Financial Institutions
in a joint program of World Bank, Rabobank and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

The World Bank Center of Excellence on Cooperative Financial Institutions (CFIs) and the Rabo Partnerships would like to invite you to a virtual International Symposium to be held on 16 and 17 November 2023 under the overall theme of “Mobilizing local capital for sustainable development – how to strengthen Cooperative Financial Institutions”. The symposium organizes three virtual sessions to discuss lessons learned for future interventions through exchanges among major stakeholders in CFI development.

Download the Symposium Flyer:[English][Español][Français]

 

BACKGROUND

Cooperative Financial Institutions (CFIs) mobilize and channel members’ deposits for financing their businesses and household needs in communities that are often under-served by commercial banks. Key to mobilizing additional local resources, given the structure/ownership/governance of CFIs, is their ability to attract new membership. To this effect, it is essential that CFIs operate as modern, effective and efficient financial intermediaries that offer competitive financial services (payments, billing, payroll, …) to community members who (would) obtain these elsewhere (for example, value chain aggregators, local merchants, trucking services). For CFIs, this membership expansion brings diversification of their member base thus overall risk reduction, in addition to the associated increase in capital.

Stronger and more sustainable CFIs increase reliable financial resources to create vibrant and resilient local economies. They also allow communities suffering with acute issues related to fragility, conflict, violence, and climate change to retain resources to address the challenges they face. Supporting the sound development of CFIs is therefore a sensible policy objective, especially when the public resources are increasingly limited compared to a multitude of development challenges. In some countries, efforts by CFI leaders, local communities, financial regulators, and development partners have succeeded in strengthening the CFI sector while in other countries, they yielded mixed results.

The international symposium discusses lessons learned for future interventions through exchanges among major stakeholders in CFI development.


AGENDA

Session 1: Cooperative Financial Institutions – mobilizing local capital for sustainable development

  • Thursday 16 November  |  9:00 - 10:10 am ET / 15:00 – 16.10 CET
  • Open to all public - Simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish and French 

Moderator: Juliëtte Hensgens, Project Manager, Rabo Partnerships
 

TIMETOPICSPEAKER
9:00-9:05 amOpening wordsNiraj Verma
World Bank
9:05-9:25 amAnalytical framework for assessing the capabilities and potential
of CFIs
Hans Groeneveld
Rabobank & Tilburg University
The Netherlands
[Download presentation]
 
9:25-9:35 amQ&A 
9:35-9:55 amThe role of cooperative banks in mobilizing and channeling members’ deposits for financing their businesses and household needs

Dinithi Ratnayake
SDB Bank
Sri Lanka


Samadanie Kiriwandeniya
Sanasa International
Sri Lanka
[Download presentation]

9:55-10:05 amQ&A 
10:05-10:10 amClosureDavid Gerbrands
Rabo Partnerships
The Netherlands

 

Session 2: Case Studies - Strengthening CFIs and their regulatory environment

  • Thursday 16 November  |  10:15 – 11:30 ET / 16:15 – 17:30 CET
  • Open to all public - Simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish and French

Moderator: Eva M. Gutierrez, Lead Financial Economist, FCI GP, World Bank
 

TIMETOPICSPEAKER
10:15-10:20 amOpening wordsAgnes Janszen
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
10:20-10:50 amCase study 1: Mexico 

Gonzalo Tapia-Velasco
Savings Protection Committee
Mexico
[Download presentation]
[Related document]


Jorge Valle Perez
Fondo de Supervisión Auxiliar de Sociedades Cooperativas de Ahorro y Préstamo y de Protección a sus Ahorradores (FOCOOP)
Mexico
[Download presentation]

10:50-11:20 amCase study 2: Colombia

 

Derenis López Meza
Unidad Proyección Normativa y Estudios de Regulación Financiera (URF)
Colombia


Marta Nury Beltrán
Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria (SES)
Colombia
[Download presentation]


Jairo Eduardo Ramírez Zuluaga
Fincomercio
Colombia

 

11:20-11:25 amQ&A 
11:25-11:30ClosureJoanne Catherine Gaskell
World Bank

[Sessions 1&2 Webcast recording]

 

Session 3: How to strengthen CFIs and their regulatory environment

  • Friday 17 November  |  9:00 - 10:30 am ET / 15:00 – 16.30 CET
  • By invitation only

Expert panel discussion, to review the World Bank/Rabobank’s experience in supporting CFIs and their regulatory environment in Ethiopia, Colombia, and West Africa and to discuss and exchange the lessons learned for future similar interventions.
 

TIMETOPICSPEAKER
9:00-9:05 amOpenings wordsDavid Gerbrands
Rabo Partnerships
9:05-9:10 amRound of introductionsPartners of Center of Excellence
9:10-9:20 amPresentation by the FinCoop Project TeamToshiaki Ono
World Bank
9:20-10:20 amPanel discussion  – how to strengthen CFIs

José-Manuel Bautista
DGRV (Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V.)

Dave Grace
International Credit Union Regulators' Network (ICURN)

Erin O’Hern
World Council International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel, World Council of Credit Unions

Jean Boisvert
Desjardins International Development (DID)

10:20-10:30 amClosure and Follow up

World Bank & Rabo Partnerships Team

 

 

SPEAKERS
 

Session1: Cooperative Financial Institutions – mobilizing local capital for sustainable development

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Juliëtte Hensgens - Moderator
Project Manager
Rabo Partnerships
The Netherlands
[LinkedIn profile]

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Niraj Verma
Practice Manager
FCI Global Practice
World Bank
[LinkedIn profile]

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Hans Groeneveld

Director International Cooperative Affairs, Rabobank, and
Endowed Professor Financial Services Co-operatives,
TiSEM Department of Economics
Tilburg University

The Netherlands
[LinkedIn profile]
[Biography @ Tilburg University]

 

 

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Dinithi Ratnayake
Chairperson
SDB Bank
Sri Lanka
[LinkedIn Profile]

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Samadanie Kiriwandeniya

Managing Director
Sanasa International
Sri Lanka
[LinkedIn Profile]
[Video: About Sanasa International]
 

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David Gerbrands
Global Head Agri and Banking Advisory Services
Rabo Partnerships
The Netherlands
[LinkedIn profile]



Session 2: Case Studies - Strengthening CFIs and their regulatory environment

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Eva M. Gutierrez - Moderator
Lead Financial Economist
FCI Global Practice
World Bank
[LinkedIn profile]

 

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Agnes Janszen
Senior Policy Officer Financial Sector Development
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Netherlands
[LinkedIn profile]
 

 

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Derenis López Meza
Advisor
Unidad Proyección Normativa y Estudios de Regulación Financiera (URF)
Colombia

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Dra Martha Nury Beltrán Misas
Superintendenta Delegada para la Supervisión de la Actividad Financiera

Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria (SES)
Colombia

 

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Jairo Eduardo Ramírez Zuluaga
General Manager
Fincomercio
Colombia.
[LinkedIn profile]

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Gonzalo Tapia-Velasco
Financial Inclusion & Financial Health Specialist,
Member of the Savings Protection Committee,
Fund for the Protection of Savings of Popular Financial Societies
Mexico
[LinkedIn profile]

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Jorge Valle Perez

Fideicomiso
Fondo de Supervisión Auxiliar de Sociedades Cooperativas
de Ahorro y Préstamo y de Protección a sus Ahorradores (FOCOOP)

Mexico

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Joanne Catherine Gaskell
Senior Agriculture Economist
AGF Global Practice
World Bank
[LinkedIn profile]



Sessions 3: How to strengthen CFIs and their regulatory environment

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Dave Grace

Executive Director
International Credit Union Regulators' Network
(ICURN)
[LinkedIn profile]

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Erin O’Hern

World Council International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)
[LinkedIn profile]

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Jean Boisvert

Program Manager
Desjardins International Development (DID)
[LinkedIn profile]

 

 

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José-Manuel Bautista

Director
Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V. (DGRV)
[LinkedIn profile]

 

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Toshiaki Ono
Senior Financial Sector Specialist
World Bank
[LinkedIn profile]
 

 


For more information, please contact

Toshiaki Ono
The World Bank
tono@worldbank.org