This document has been made available in electronic format by the World Council 
of Credit Unions
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WORLD COUNCIL OF CREDIT UNIONS (WOCCU)

What is the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)?   
     WOCCU, established in 1971, is the international organization for credit unions 
and similar cooperative financial institutions.

What is the purpose of WOCCU?
      WOCCU assists members and others interested in becoming members to
organize,  expand, improve, and integrate credit unions as effective instruments for 
economic and social development.

What is WOCCU's development experience?
      WOCCU supports the development of cooperative thrift and credit
institutions throughout the world, working with national and regional credit
union associations.  In particular, WOCCU's work emphasizes:

     * institutional development by helping to create hundreds of local and regional 
financial institutions that operate on the principle of self-reliance.

     * savings mobilization by developing market-oriented approaches and
instruments to stimulate increased savings among people of modest means.

     * credit administration by organizing loan services characterized by their focus 
on member needs and high repayment rates.

      * participatory development by working through credit unions to increase the 
number of people who have access to affordable financial services and by
stimulating members' effective exercise of democratic rights and practices inherent
in credit unions' structure.

      * safety and soundness by building financial management systems and internal 
controls to ensure that credit unions function efficiently and that members' funds
are protected. 

     * prudential supervision by helping develop countries' legal/ regulatory 
frameworks and effective credit union monitoring systems.

     * people-to-people partnerships by facilitating hundreds of exchanges between 
credit unions in developed and developing countries to train staff, members, and
leaders.

     * microenterprise by developing credit union programs that enable 
microentrepreneurs to access savings and credit services, such as non-collaterized
loans, faster loan processing, and market returns on deposits.

     * women in development by implementing programs that raise awareness of
gender issues and promote savings and credit products that are responsive to
women members' particular needs.

World Council of Credit Unions
PO Box 2982
Madison, WI 53701-2982
U.S.A.
Phone (608) 231-7130
Fax    (608) 238-8020

Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Baker
David Dinning, Senior Executive Director
David Richardson, Executive Director, Technical Services

E-mail: (user id) + aworld%woccu@mcimail.com
(Users ids are first intial plus last name of staff member)