HRH Princess Máxima to address Microfinance Conference at University of Greenwich

Microfinance Focus, July 23, 2010: United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, HRH Princess Máxima will be addressing a two day Microfinance Conference at University of Greenwich on 6-7 September 2010.  The conference will be focussing on Microfinance and providing financial services to the world’s poor.

Other guest speakers at the conference include Robert Annibale, Global Director of Citi Microfinance and Dr Elisabeth Rhyne, Managing Director for the Centre for Financial Inclusion. Conference topics will include strategic partnerships; enhancing new partnerships; the role of institutions involved; collaborative relationships, and global versus local partnerships.

Princess Máxima works globally with government leaders, financial regulators, parliaments, civil society, the private sector and the media to raise awareness of the importance of inclusive finance to help reduce poverty.  She champions access for all to financial services at a reasonable cost so that people can generate income including savings accounts, loans, insurance, payment services and pensions.

Dr Ana Marr, Director of the Leverhulme Microfinance Research Project at the University of Greenwich, says: “Microfinance has a key role to play not just globally, but in local communities too. By improving financial services for some of the poorest people on the planet, it helps them to climb out of poverty by providing a way to save safely, insure against risks and fund small businesses. This conference builds on the university’s research strengths in microfinance and I look forward to welcoming a wide range of speakers and participants.”

Robert Annibale says: “This conference will provide a platform from which we can explore the role that microfinance plays in support of financial inclusion and development, through innovative partnerships and services beyond credit, with a focus on savings. Citi’s sponsorship of this conference reinforces our commitment to the microfinance sector and expanding access to financial services to the underserved as a tool towards their achieving their goals and potential.”

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