International Advocacy
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Advocacy in Action
Learn about the potential regulatory changes our team is tracking on behalf of the global credit union movement, the issues they are proactively raising to the international standard setting bodies and the ways they are connecting with our members around the world to ensure a level playing field for all credit unions and financial cooperatives.
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A Win at FATF
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2025 revised its guidance on key anti-money laundering/counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) issues to include language WOCCU advocated for that encourages national governments and regulators take the appropriate steps to identify where AML/CFT regulations can be proportionally tailored for lower-risk institutions such as credit unions. WOCCU applauds those efforts but it seeking minor adjustments.
Webinar
The WOCCU International Advocacy team recently sat down for a panel discussion about the regulatory uncertainty caused by government upheavals across the globe, and the issues that aren't going away no matter who is in elected office, like digitalization, climate finance and the need to strengthen national regulatory frameworks.
New Leadership
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) in January 2025 announced Paul Andrews as its new Vice President of International Advocacy—putting him in charge of advocating on behalf of the global credit union and financial cooperative movement at the international level.
Credit Unions: A Global Force for Small Business Growth
U.S. foreign aid funding must be reopened so credit unions can continue driving sustainable small business growth worldwide. That's what Murray Williams, President/CEO of the Iowa Credit Union League and Chair of America's Credit Unions' World Affairs Committee, writes on behalf of WOCCU for Credit Union Times.
Why International Development Work Must Continue—for Credit Unions, the United States and the World
Credit unions are powering change around the world, but global development work is under threat. Cutting this work doesn’t just hurt communities abroad, it weakens U.S. influence and global stability. WOCCU Board Vice Chair Joe Thomas makes the case for why we must keep going in this opinion editorial for CU Insight.
Island Time Advocacy
Paul Andrews goes back on the road June 20-25 for the 2025 Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions' Conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. He will host a breakout session for Caribbean credit union professionals on Advocacy and Influence: Strengthening the Voice of Credit Union Leagues in Policy and Regulation.
Set for Stockholm
Paul Andrews and Erin O'Hern, WOCCU International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel, organized and will be moderating several credit union advocacy breakout sessions at the 2025 World Credit Union Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, July 14-16.FATF Forum in India
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) asked Erin O'Hern to be a part of its invitation-only 2025 Private Sector Collaborative Forum in Mumbai, India, in early April. She participated in continued discussions on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT), voicing WOCCU's support for FATF"s renewed focus on financial inclusion and how it benefits credit unions.GAC 2025 in D.C.
Paul Andrews and Erin O'Hern in March hosted representatives from the Australian and Polish credit union systems for Global Perspectives on Credit Union Advocacy, a breakout session at America's Credit Credit Unions' 2025 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C. The panel discussion focused on the fallout caused by credit union taxation and the cost of open banking implementation.Guides and Manuals
Protecting the Credit Union and Cooperative Model in a Year of Uncertainty
With a vast amount of regulatory uncertainty resulting from an unprecedented number of newly elected officials across the globe—2025 will be a critical year for credit union advocacy worldwide. That is the overriding theme of WOCCU International Advocacy's 2025 Global Regulatory Update.