Registration has opened for the International Symposium on Cooperative Financial Institutions, organised by the International Cooperative Banking Association (ICBA)
The symposium, which is set to be held at the UN headquarters in New York on 28 – 29 May, aims to “bring together senior leaders from co-operative banks, credit unions, and other co-operative financial institutions (CFIs) globally”.
It will explore the commitments made by the UN in 2025 to place community-led finance “at the heart” of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals up to 2030 and beyond. This will expand on three key themes:
- Competitiveness and access to capital
- Investment, cross-sector collaboration and impact
- Governance, regulation and people-centred leadership
The symposium aims to produce a number of key outcomes, including tracking progress of the ICBA report on legislation and co-operative financial institutions; a road map for bringing CFIs into alignment with the Doha Declaration; identification of priority areas for targeted technical assistance; and a road map for aligning CFIs with the Sevilla Commitment financing priorities (which aims to address the US$4tn annual SDG funding gap).
In a statement, US co-op apex NCBA Clusa said: “The event responds to landmark commitments adopted by the UN in 2025 that place inclusive, equitable and locally led finance at the heart of sustainable development – not just until 2030, but beyond.
“Co-operative financial institutions are uniquely positioned to turn pledges into practice by advancing financial inclusion, resilient local economies and democratic ownership.”
Registration for the symposium is selective and requires a €300 Euro application fee via this online registration form.
