World Leaders in Financial Inclusion Meet in Shanghai
Microfinance Focus, 4 August 2014: This week, Shanghai hosts one of the largest microfinance and financial inclusion events in Asia of 2014 – the Asia Microfinance Forum. 500 delegates from 36 countries around the world will take this opportunity to respond to the challenges of increasing financial inclusion and contributing to inclusive growth and poverty alleviation in Asia.
While delegates represent a cross‐section of stakeholders from across Asia, Forum organisers are particularly pleased a significant number of financial services providers, government agencies and other representatives from China will be joining the Forum, including People’s Bank of China, the Poverty Alleviation and Development Office of the State Council, Postal Savings Bank of China, and the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.
Themed “Financial inclusion in Asia: Creating dynamic financial ecosystems for the poor”, the Forum draws on the world’s and the region’s leading practitioners, policymakers, financiers, advocates and organisations to explore new business models, technology, delivery channels and other innovative approaches to help the hundreds of millions of people in Asia living in poverty and who do not have access to appropriate financial products and services.
Two world leaders in microfinance will open the Asia Microfinance Forum 2014 as keynote speakers: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC; and Mr Robert Annibale, Global Director of Citi Microfinance and Community Development.
This is the fourth regional forum since 2006 convened by the Banking with the Poor Network and organised by the Foundation for Development Cooperation, in partnership with the Citi Foundation as Lead Partner and The China Association of Microfinance as Local Host.
This year’s Asia Microfinance Forum also marks ten years since a productive partnership between the Citi Foundation and Foundation for Development Cooperation and Banking with the Poor Network began in 2005. Says Stephen Taylor, Executive Governor of FDC, “the active support and engagement of the Citi Foundation in advocacy of innovation and best practice in financial inclusion has underpinned the success of the Forum as measured by the insights stakeholders gain and productive relationships built throughout Asia”.
The Forum will address the spectrum of financial inclusion themes, including financial frameworks, policies and regulations; financial capability; demand‐driven products; peer‐to‐peer microfinance; behavioural economics; digital finance; microfinance as a catalyst for SME growth; achieving impact among target groups and more. The Forum will provide a platform to explore opportunities and solutions to challenges by drawing on a diversity of approaches and fresh thinking from across the Asia region.
The Asia Microfinance Forum 2014 takes place between 5th and 7th of August in Shanghai. Delegates and visitors can follow the Forum at #AsiaMicrofinance.
