MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association (AMFA) to Hold Fourth Bi-annual Conference

MICROFINANCE – 10 YEARS OF BEST PRACTICE

SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2008, HYATT REGENCY HOTEL, BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

The Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association (AMFA), a supportive organization for a network of 22 microfinance institutions (MFIs) and downscaling commercial banks in the country, will hold a two-day conference entitled “Microfinance – 10 Years of Best Practice.” The event will provide an opportunity for interaction amongst practitioners and investors, present innovative microfinance products, and discuss best practices, challenges, and benchmarking lessons.

Although no agenda has been released yet, the conference announcement on AMFA’s web site states that the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chairman of the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA), and the Chairman of the State Parliament Commission on Economic Issues are all expected to attend the opening ceremony. Check back for more detailed conference information and registration.

For inquiries, Mrs. Vusala Garayeva, the Conference Manager, can be contacted by e-mail at amfa@amfa.az or by phone at +994 124371645.

In the mid-1990s, a group of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) began providing microfinance services to help alleviate the economic challenges that internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from the conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region were facing. An informal network of these INGOs held the First Microfinance Conference in Azerbaijan in October of 2001 and in December of 2001 the AMFA was officially established. Since then, the organization has been working “to strengthen the capacity of microfinance institutions and to promote effective collective action in advancing the interests of the microfinance community” in Azerbaijan, as reported by the MIX Market, the microfinance information clearinghouse. The AMFA provides research analysis, educational opportunities, policy advocacy, certification, and other services to its membership of 15 non-bank credit organizations and 7 downscaling commercial banks.

By Anthony Busch, Research Assistant

Additional Resources:

Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association: Home, Members, History, MIX Market Profile

MIX Market: Home

National Bank of Azerbaijan: Home