World Council of Credit Unions’ Impact Report Shows 2023 was a Year of Growth

Monday 29 January 2024

The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has recently published its 2023 Impact Report which outlines its key work and highlights from the year.

It was a record-breaking year for WOCCU as over 3,000 credit union professionals from 60 countries attended the 2023 World Credit Union Conference in Vancouver, Canada as co-hosted with the Canadian Credit Union Association. The conference also set new records for the number of speakers at almost 100 and the number of keynote presentations or breakout sessions at 43.

A particular highlight for the World Council and the credit union movement was WOCCU International Advocacy’s first-ever address to a group at the United Nations. The address outlined the various ways credit unions play a key role in growing financial inclusion for rural and underserved communities during a UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Expert Group Meeting.

The report demonstrated the success of the Worldwide Foundation of Credit Union’s (partner organisation to WOCCU) outreach to women and young people. The Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) engaged over 2,500 women and men through various events and provided over 3,500 hours and networking across 160 Sister Societies in 30 countries on six continents. Furthermore, the World Young Credit Union Professionals group added over 350 people to the membership in 2023 with membership now spanning across 75 countries.

ABCUL facilitates the British Sister Society of the GWLN and the Young Professionals Network (YPN) in Britain. ABCUL’s YPN is celebrating its fifth year of success since it was created by ambitious young professionals who have forged incredibly successful careers in the sector. The GB Sister Society and YPN recently collaborated in a webinar with guests – Lena Giakoumopoulos (GWLN Director, WFCU) and Ari Farrell (WYCUP Programme Manager, WFCU).

Read the full WOCCU impact report here.