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
 

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
 

[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.
 

SPEAKERS
 

Session1: Cooperative Financial Institutions – mobilizing local capital for sustainable development
	Juliëtte Hensgens - Moderator Project Manager Rabo Partnerships The Netherlands [LinkedIn profile]
	Niraj Verma Practice Manager FCI Global Practice World Bank [LinkedIn profile]
	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]
	Dinithi Ratnayake Chairperson SDB Bank Sri Lanka [LinkedIn Profile]
	Samadanie Kiriwandeniya Managing Director Sanasa International Sri Lanka [LinkedIn Profile] [Video: About Sanasa International]
	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
	Eva M. Gutierrez - Moderator Lead Financial Economist FCI Global Practice World Bank [LinkedIn profile]
	Agnes Janszen Senior Policy Officer Financial Sector Development Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Netherlands [LinkedIn profile]
	Derenis López Meza Advisor Unidad Proyección Normativa y Estudios de Regulación Financiera (URF) Colombia
	Dra Martha Nury Beltrán Misas Superintendenta Delegada para la Supervisión de la Actividad Financiera Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria (SES) Colombia
	Jairo Eduardo Ramírez Zuluaga General Manager Fincomercio Colombia. [LinkedIn profile]
	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]
	Jorge Valle Perez Fideicomiso Fondo de Supervisión Auxiliar de Sociedades Cooperativas de Ahorro y Préstamo y de Protección a sus Ahorradores (FOCOOP) Mexico
	Joanne Catherine Gaskell Senior Agriculture Economist AGF Global Practice World Bank [LinkedIn profile]

Sessions 3: How to strengthen CFIs and their regulatory environment
	Dave Grace Executive Director International Credit Union Regulators' Network (ICURN) [LinkedIn profile]
	Erin O’Hern World Council International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) [LinkedIn profile]
	Jean Boisvert Program Manager Desjardins International Development (DID) [LinkedIn profile]
	José-Manuel Bautista Director Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V. (DGRV) [LinkedIn profile]
	Toshiaki Ono Senior Financial Sector Specialist World Bank [LinkedIn profile]

For more information, please contact: 

Toshiaki Ono
The World Bank
tono@worldbank.org