Illinois and Ecuador Credit Unions Sign International Partnership Agreement

AMBATO, Ecuador — Last week, two representatives from BCU of Vernon Hills, Ill. (USA), traveled to Ambato, Ecuador, to establish an official credit union-to-credit union partnership with Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito OSCUS Ltda. through World Council of Credit Unions' International Partnerships Program. The new partnership between BCU and OSCUS will allow both parties to directly exchange information, ideas and best practices in credit union operations.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

ICANN Grants Preliminary Approval for .creditunion Domain

World Council will work with U.S. member CUNA to grant global access to domain

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Credit Union National Association (CUNA) has won preliminary approval from the Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international body that authorizes web extensions, for the Internet domain name .creditunion (dot credit union). The new domain name is expected to be finalized and go live early next year, and CUNA will work with World Council of Credit Unions and foreign regulatory authorities so that credit unions around the world can also use .creditunion.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

Malawi Credit Unions Tackle New Regulatory Compliance Challenges

Top Malawi officials ask for rural expansion to build savings and achieve financial inclusion

LILONGWE, Malawi — Malawi's credit unions, known as savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) have taken on new compliance challenges since the country's Financial Cooperatives Bill in 2011 led to a new regulatory framework in April this year. World Council of Credit Unions and Malawi Union of Savings & Credit Co-operatives (MUSCCO) representatives met with state officials in Lilongwe, Malawi, last week to discuss the challenges and opportunities to expand credit union services to rural areas in an effort to achieve broad-based financial inclusion.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

Announcing: 2013 International Credit Union Day® Theme and Artwork

“Credit Unions Unite for Good: A Better Way” highlights global impact of cooperation among financial cooperatives

MADISON, Wis. — World Council of Credit Unions today announced the 2013 International Credit Union (ICU) Day® theme, "Credit Unions Unite for Good: A Better Way," which emphasizes the benefits of cooperation among credit unions worldwide. ICU Day is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of October and will take place this year on Oct. 17, 2013. Artwork in English and Spanish is now available on World Council's website.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

World Council Initiates Credit Union Revitalization in Liberia

New program focuses on financial inclusion through savings mobilization

MADISON, Wis. — The United Nations Capital Development Fund, through its MicroLead program, recently awarded World Council of Credit Unions a US$2.45 million, four-year grant to rapidly expand savings and improve the livelihoods of poor and low-income households through credit unions in Liberia. World Council will work with its new member organization, the Liberia Credit Union National Association (LCUNA), to revitalize the credit union system in the West African country.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

US CU Volunteers Learn Corporate Social Responsibility from Dominican Counterparts at CUNA Volunteer Institute

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Last week, more than 100 U.S. credit union board members learned lessons in social responsibility from US$58 million credit union Maimón in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. World Council of Credit Unions facilitated the training with Maimón as a portion of CUNA Volunteer Institute for the second year in a row. Maimón is affiliated with Asociación de Instituciones Rurales de Ahorro y Crédito, Inc. (AIRAC), World Council's member association in the Dominican Republic.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

Wanted Worldwide: Credit Union Social Media Strategy

World Council workshop participants brainstorm multimedia opportunities to attract Gen Y members

MADISON, Wis. — Thirteen credit union and trade association marketing executives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Korea and the United States met at World Council of Credit Unions' headquarters in Madison, Wis. (USA) earlier this week for a day-and-a-half Build the Brand Workshop, funded by a grant from Vancity Credit Union (Canada). The workshop's goal was to develop strategies for credit unions to reach a younger audience through social media. The event built on the inaugural Build the Brand Workshop last year, which identified credit union messaging that resonates with today's consumers worldwide.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

European Network of CUs Engages EU Policymakers on Basel Rules, FATCA and Financial Inclusion

BRUSSELS — Representatives from the European Network of Credit Unions (ENCU) and World Council of Credit Unions met with European Union (EU) policymakers in Brussels on May 14–15. The group advocated for a number of issues affecting European credit unions, including reasonable interpretation of Basel Committee liquidity rules; the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and related European rules; and the provision of basic current accounts to the unbanked in order to promote financial inclusion.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

WYCUP Scholarship Program Agenda and Speaker Announced

Online communications expert Shel Holtz to address CU branding through social media

MADISON, Wis. — Enrollment for World Council's Young Credit Union People (WYCUP) scholarship program, an international networking and educational opportunity for credit union leaders age 35 and younger, is accepting nominations until June 3, 2013. The program and awards ceremony will take place at the 2013 World Credit Union Conference in Ottawa, Canada, July 14–17, 2013.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

Early Bird Deadline Approaching for World Credit Union Conference

Attendees from more than 50 countries already registered

MADISON, Wis. — Time is running out to take advantage of the early bird deadline for World Council of Credit Unions' 2013 World Credit Union Conference in Ottawa, Canada, July 14–17, 2013. The registration fee will increase US$200 per attendee after May 9.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

Falkland Islands Seek U.S. Guidance for Establishing Credit Union Framework

U.S. credit union volunteer Dwayne Naylor visits Falkland Islands to assist with framework

STANLEY, Falkland Islands — Dwayne Naylor, chief operating officer of Local Government Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., USA, travelled to the Falkland Islands April 14 to 19 to assist the Falkland Islands Development Corporation with establishing a sustainable credit union framework for its citizens. Naylor was on assignment for World Council of Credit Unions.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

World Council Comments on New Global PEPs and Payments AML Standards

World Council engages the Financial Action Task Force regarding upcoming international anti-money laundering guidance on prepaid cards, remittances, mobile payments, Internet payments and domestic politically exposed persons

LONDON — World Council of Credit Unions last week made recommendations to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on how to limit regulatory burdens on credit unions in the FATF's forthcoming guidance papers on anti-money laundering (AML) standards for politically exposed persons (PEPs) and new payment products and services (NPPS). Michael Edwards, World Council vice-president and chief counsel, and Sabrina Kellenberger, Credit Union Central of Canada senior manager of regulatory policy, represented credit unions at the FATF private sector consultative forum, which was held at HSBC's London headquarters on Canary Wharf.

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Contact: Jennifer Bernhardt
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: jbernhardt@woccu.org

International CU Regulators’ Network Issues Governance Best Practices

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The International Credit Union Regulators' Network (ICURN) this week issued a new guiding principles document entitled Enhancing Governance of Cooperative Financial Institutions at the ICURN Annual Conference in San Diego, California, United States. The ICURN guidance incorporates 17 elements considered desirable in facilitating effective governance of cooperative financial institutions, including credit unions and savings and credit cooperative organizations.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

California and Nevada CU Leagues' Diana Dykstra and Guatemala CUs Discuss Governance and Strategy

Leagues President and CEO and FENACOAC Representatives Also Meet With Guatemala Superintendency of Banks

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues President and CEO Diana Dykstra recently conducted a workshop on governance and strategy with the board of directors of Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito (FENACOAC), Guatemala's national credit union trade association.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org

Contact: Tina Ramos-Ingold
Organization: California & Nevada Credit Union Leagues
E-mail: tinar@ccul.org

Register Online Now for the 2013 Global Women’s Leadership Forum in Ottawa, Canada

Half the Sky co-author Sheryl WuDunn to discuss women’s economic empowerment

MADISON, Wis. — The Global Women's Leadership Network has opened online registration for the fifth annual Global Women's Leadership Forum, an exclusive event for network members, July 13–14, prior to the 2013 World Credit Union Conference in Ottawa, Canada. Registration for both the network and the forum are now available at www.CUwomen.org.

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Contact: Rebecca Carpenter
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: rcarpenter@woccu.org