McCarter LaBorde Calls on U.S. Credit Unions to Help WOCCU Preserve its Place of Global Leadership
Mainstage address at GAC 2025 includes call to Rally the Movement
March 05, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a year of massive change that has resulted in global uncertainty, World Council of Credit Unions’ President and CEO Elissa McCarter LaBorde on Wednesday urged U.S. credit union professionals to ensure the credit union movement preserve its place of leadership on the world stage during her mainstage address at America’s Credit Unions’ 2025 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).
“We are part of a massive movement serving over 411 million people through more than 74,000 credit unions in over 100 countries. We are stronger together, because in every community, like you serve your members here in the United States, credit unions are serving members all around the world to strengthen financial systems, address gaps, serve the underserved and invest in people, so they can live their best financial lives. That is the credit union difference in so many countries around the world,” said McCarter LaBorde.
She stressed how WOCCU International Advocacy’s work in front of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, International Accounting Standards Board Financial Action Task Force and other international financial standard setting bodies has resulted in countless success stories that have led to more proportional regulations for credit unions around the globe.
“America's Credit Unions is our direct member here in the Untied States, so you are indirectly also a member, and we advocate on your behalf in front of the many international standard setting bodies that you see on the maze on this screen that frame the rules that define the standards of banking that ultimately flow down to your jurisdictions," said McCarter LaBorde.
A time of crisis for WOCCU
But the important work WOCCU does on behalf of U.S. credit unions is now at risk, according to McCarter LaBorde.
She said last week’s termination of all USAID awards that funded WOCCU’s international development work through credit unions in seven countries dealt a severe financial blow to the organization.
“Despite the fact we've done so much work over decades in partnership with the U.S. government to show the value of what credit unions do for members to strengthen economies and to ultimately create a safer, more prosperous America in the process—we are caught up in this sea change," said McCarter LaBorde.
She asked the audience to encourage their lawmakers to support future foreign aid funding of international development through credit unions in their meetings on Capitol Hill this week.
McCarter LaBorde also asked them to help WOCCU continue at least some of its project work by donating to Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ Rally the Movement campaign.
“We've been calling on leagues, credit unions, individuals—people who care, who believe in, ultimately, the power of international cooperation to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, because we can only do that together and we are stronger as a credit union community," said McCarter LaBorde "Consider donating to our Rally the Movement campaign, which is an effort to bridge this crisis period and preserve our global presence in at least three of the seven countries (Ukraine, Kenya, Guatemala) that we had been working in."
She also encouraged the audience to join WOCCU and the rest of the global credit union movement at the 2025 World Credit Union Conference, celebrating its 20th anniversary in Stockholm, Sweden, July 14-16.
Early-bird registration prices for the 2025 World Credit Union Conference are still available here.
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the apex association for credit unions and other global financial cooperatives. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 74,634 credit unions in 104 countries serve 411 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: gneumann@woccu.org
Phone: +1 608-395-2048
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