San Jose del Cabo, Mexico – Agrofinanzas, S.A. de C.V., SOFOL (Agrofinanzas) was recognized June 19 by the G20 as one of 15 leading companies in the world on inclusive business innovation (The G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation), during a ceremony headed by the Executive Secretary of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation and Chair of the G20 Development Working Group, Amb. Rogelio Granguillhome Morfín.

The award was granted to Agrofinanzas because, since its inception in 2006, it has designed and successfully implemented a business model that provides loans for Mexican small farmers and rural producers, enabling them to access the formal credit market from which they were previously excluded. Loans from Agrofinanzas carry affordable interest rates substantially lower than consumer lending and microfinance alternatives.

Referring to this global award, Mr. Francisco Mere, Agrofinanzas’ CEO commented: “We are proud to receive this recognition, but are even more pleased that, thanks to our business model, since our inception we have granted more than 80,000 loans to small agricultural producers, 80% of whom had no prior access to the formal financial sector.” He added, “Today, these producers are able to establish a credit history that gives them the opportunity to obtain other financing products. This way, we provide the tools to empower them to take control of their financial future and thus improve their economic situation in a win-win relationship.”

On the results of Agrofinazas financing system he mentioned: “We are currently the leaders in supply chain financing in the agribusiness sector in Mexico. Our innovative business model, based on technology and strategic alliances, has allowed the company to offer an attractive return to its investors for the past three years, while, according to a study we commissioned in 2011, over 30% of our customers have improved their economic situation since they received a loan from Agrofinanzas.”

The G20 on Inclusive Business Innovation Challenge is a global initiative launched at the G20 Summit ofNovember 2011 in Cannes that recognizes companies that have succeeded in developing innovative, scalable, as well as commercially viable and replicable inclusive business models which work with low-income people living in developing countries as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers, becoming in what is known as “inclusive businesses.”

Agrofinanzas is a financial institution in Mexico, dedicated to providing financing to unbanked producers and businesses in the food and agricultural sector in rural and suburban areas, with special emphasis on supporting sustainability and financial inclusion in Mexico. It was established and authorized by the Mexican Ministry of Finance in 2006 and is supervised by the National Banking and Securities Commission. It has investment grade rating by Fitch Ratings Mexico and its debt securities are traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange.

As of April 2012, Agrofinanzas has MxP$1.742 billion in assets under management and a loan portfolio of nearly MxP$1.6 billion, distributed in 22 states of the country and more than 20 supply chains related to agribusiness, aquaculture, forestry and renewable energy. In the first four months of 2012, its loan portfolio grew by 27% when compared to December 2011, while at the end of April 2012 its non-performing loans were 3.1% of its loans’ portfolio.

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Washington, U.S.A. – The Group of 20, the powerful international organization whose heads of state will meet next week in Mexico to discuss the global economy, needs to change its membership criteria in order to establish a legitimacy that is fast depleting at a critical time. That is the conclusion of a new study published by the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU). The study suggests replacing four current members of the G20 based on proposed membership criteria.

“With the anemic economic recovery weakening, global leaders should quickly consider how to fulfill the G20′s potential for building economic stability,” write the study’s authors, Alex M. Brill and James K. Glassman. “The place to start is by establishing criteria for membership and adjusting the group’s composition accordingly.”

The authors develop a system that uses key numerical indicators measuring nations’ size, governance, and financial interconnectedness to establish country-by-country rankings for current and potential G20 members. Their goal is to create a practical methodology for membership standards that would give the G20 the legitimacy and trust it needs to fulfill its stated objectives: restoring global growth, strengthening the international financial system, and reforming international financial institutions.

Findings of the study include results that show two current G20 countries—Argentina and Indonesia— are falling far short of the proposed membership criteria and should be removed from the body. Two other current G20 countries—Russia and Mexico—fail to qualify by a very small margin. Four current nonmembers—Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, and Switzerland—should replace these countries.

The study also found membership should be reevaluated periodically—a minimum of every five years and a maximum of every ten years. Such a system would lend further legitimacy to the G20 as well as provide “an incentive for countries on the cusp of gaining membership to implement reforms or strengthen their economies’ growth prospects.”

The authors stress that for the G20 to avoid the “political and operational baggage” of other organizations like the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, solid membership criteria “can lend credibility to the G20 without affecting the manner in which it conducts its policymaking.”

NTU Executive Vice President Pete Sepp notes that by following Brill’s and Glassman’s recommendations, “[T]he G20 could take a first step to becoming a new model of economic policymaking that depends not on costly bailouts but more on proactive self-discipline in the common interest; such a model rewards free-market solutions from innovators instead of statist behavior from bad actors.”

Alex M. Brill is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former chief economist and policy director to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Ambassador James K. Glassman is the Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute and a member of the newly established Investor Advisory Committee of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He is a former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

NTU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1969 to work for limited government and economic prosperity in the U.S. and around the world. The group has long advocated for more accountable multilateral policymaking bodies that focus on practical, nimble responses to economic growth challenges instead of costly, bureaucratic interventions.

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Los Cabos, Mexico – G2012 Mexico is partnering with Ashoka Changemakers to launch the G2012 Mexico Financial Inclusion: Innovative Solutions for Unlocking Access challenge, an online competition to find groundbreaking initiatives from around the world that make financial services accessible to under-served and excluded communities.

“Promoting greater financial inclusion is a key focus for the Mexican Presidency of the G20 this year,” said Jose Antonio Meade, minister of finance and public credit of Mexico. “Equipping underserved and excluded households with the basic tools of economic empowerment—such as, affordable loans, secure savings and payments, and insurance—is key to economic development and raising standards of living. Financial inclusion is also critical to the strength and stability of the greater global financial system.”

The competition seeks solutions that create access to valuable, affordable, secure, and comprehensive financial services. Today, 2.7 billion adults—more than half of the world’s working-age population—do not have access to financial services that would allow them to save money securely, borrow money affordably, make payments knowledgeably, and insure themselves against potential hardships or risk.

All private sector individuals, organizations, or partnerships are eligible to enter from now until September 12, 2012 at changemakers.com/financialinclusion. Details about the guidelines and assessment criteria can be found on the website. The best solution will win a 100,000 USD award sponsored by Banco Nacional de Mexico (Banamex) and BBVA Bancomer. ”Ashoka has a long history of expertise in sourcing and scaling-up social innovations that promote economic empowerment and financial inclusion,” said Ashoka President Diana Wells. “We are thrilled to partner with G2012 Mexico and to leverage the experience and tireless passion of our network to support this critical challenge.”

Secretary Jose Antonio Meade announced on June 18 the launch of the G2012 Mexico Financial Inclusion: Innovative Solutions for Unlocking Access competition at the G20 Leader´s Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Under the Mexican G20 Presidency the financial inclusion agenda has focused on the promotion of having more inclusive financial systems and accompany those efforts with actions on financial education and financial consumer protection. In this sense, the most important challenges for moving from ideas to actions are: building a modern regulatory framework, innovation regarding new business models and technology, and strong coordination especially with the private sector.

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Washington, U.S.A. - Members of the U.S.-based NGO alliance InterAction released the following statements on the outcomes of the G20 Summit:

Neil Watkins, Director of Policy and Campaigns, ActionAid USA stated, “with food prices swinging wildly and the planet burning, this was the moment for bold proposals from the G20. Instead, on food security and climate change, the G20 turned in last year’s homework, content to reaffirm old plans and commission more studies.”

John Ruthrauff, Director of International Advocacy of InterAction said, “InterAction is pleased that the G20 declaration expresses support for a number of important development issues. These include the supporting Scaling Up Nutrition, launching the AgResults initiative, extending the Anti-Corruption Working Group’s mandate for two years, and phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. Unfortunately, these words of support are not accompanied by concrete steps, action plans, or benchmarks for completion.”

Michael Elliott, CEO of ONE claimed, “Political courage seems to be in short supply in Los Cabos. The G20 has consistently promised a lot, but delivered very little. The Seoul and Cannes summits gave us hope that a new drive on development had begun, but too much of the work that was started has not been advanced by leaders in Los Cabos. Leaders must match their rhetoric by ensuring that their stated desire to address global poverty is backed-up by concrete action in the months ahead.”

Carlos Zarco, the Executive Director of Oxfam Mexico also made a statement saying, “this is a hugely disappointing outcome for developing countries. Europe’s crisis must be fixed because it’s becoming a serious drain on developing countries. But it is not good enough for the G20 to have fought over growth versus austerity in Europe. Leaders failed to keep the world’s poorest in their sights, despite the fact that more than half these people live in G20 countries.”

World Vision also released a statement claiming, “we are pleased to see a greater emphasis on nutrition included in food security solutions; however this year’s G20 Summit represents a missed opportunity to lead nutrition-specific solutions. The Summit focused more on recycling previous commitments and sharing best practices and not enough on making measurable political commitments in the fight against poverty and hunger.”

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Washington, U.S.A. – Argentina’s sagging international reputation has drawn scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. The American Task Force Argentina reported that on the eve of the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, members of Congress have taken the first steps to call for the removal of Argentina from the G20 if it continues to ignore U.S. court judgments and its international economic obligations. A new resolution introduced by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), expresses the sense of the Congress that the Republic of Argentina’s membership in the G20 should be conditioned on its “adherence to international norms of economic relations and commitment to the rule of law.”

H.Res.686 stipulates that the Republic of Argentina must “fulfill the responsibilities inherent with membership in the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20), in accordance with the principles articulated by this premier forum for international economic cooperation.” In the event that Argentina fails to comply, the Resolution establishes that President Obama and the Treasury Secretary would work with G20 members to “terminate the participation of Argentina in the G20.”

This resolution is the counterpart to Senate Resolution, S.Res.457, introduced by U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) on May 14, which also supports Argentina’s suspension from the G20, unless it meets its obligations to the U.S. and other countries.

Calls to sanction Argentina have been echoed globally, from Spain and Germany to the United Kingdom. Last week, a UK petition urging British taxpayers to stop supporting multilateral development bank loans to Argentina went viral. In the United States, a House Financial Services subcommittee held a hearing that showcased Argentina as a nation that does not respect U.S. or international law.

“Rep. Smith is to be commended for his resolution. His initiative is part of a growing international outcry against Argentina’s bad acts,” explained Robert Raben, co-chair of American Task Force Argentina.  “Argentina has repeatedly refused to adhere to the spirit and the letter of G20 declarations, and at a time of financial instability, this lawlessness should no longer be tolerated.”

ATFA an alliance of diverse organizations advocating a fair and final resolution to Argentina’s financial and legal obligations to U.S. citizens is led by Executive Director Robert Raben, a former Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and co-chaired by The Honorable Robert J. Shapiro, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Clinton Administration, and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, Ambassador at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1997 to 2001.

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Tony Blair and a group of international statesmen and business leaders on June 19 said that a “clean revolution” – a step change in investment in renewable energy and clean technology – was needed to lead the world out of recession.
In an open letter, they said: “We have a historic opportunity to lead the world out of recession and into a more stable, sustainable future. The ‘Clean Revolution’ is essential if we want to ensure we save our economies from the crippling costs of runaway climate change, and create meaningful jobs and enhance energy security.”

The signatories of the open letter are backing the launch in Rio of the Clean Revolution campaign, a major initiative by The Climate Group and a range of government and business partners that calls for a ‘green growth’ push out of global recession.

Tony Blair, in a speech, added: “The Clean Revolution is the expressway to the Green Economy. Because of the current financial crisis, acting on climate change is more than ever before an opportunity to lead the world out of recession and to tackle the increasing geopolitical tensions created by the lack of energy security.”

Among the campaign’s backers to date are Philips and Suzlon, a major Asian wind turbine manufacturer, as well as other businesses and venture capitalists in China and the United States.

“Government and business leaders are realizing the opportunity in the Clean Revolution and are already leading the world into a more sustainable future. But it needs to happen faster. We need a step change. And it begins, today, at Rio+20,” said Mark Kenber, CEO, The Climate Group.

Speakers at the Clean Revolution launch event in Rio included Prince Albert of Monaco, Quebec’s PremierJean Charest, The World Bank’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, Andrew Steer, Georg Kell, UN Global Compact Executive Director, senior representatives from Phillips, Suzlon and the Dutch Postcode Lottery as well as Professor Wang Yi of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the key architects of China’s low carbon strategy.

“We should not expect global rules to guide us though this ‘make or break’ decade.” Instead it will be voluntary leadership that will demonstrate that success is not only possible, but also profitable, and which in turn will inspire others to act. The Clean Revolution Initiative is designed to move things across the tipping point. We’re proud to be part of it,” said Andrew Steer, Special Envoy for Climate Change, The World Bank.

The Climate Group has launched a new website  and a series of research reports demonstrating success stories of ‘clean revolutions’ under way in different parts of the world.

The Clean Revolution is a partnership of international statesmen and governments, business leaders and corporations, thinkers and opinion formers. It is coordinated by The Climate Group. It calls for a swift, massive scale-up of clean energy and infrastructure, and of smart technologies and design.

The initiative aims to create a tipping point for change by inspiring government and business leaders. It presents them with the evidence of the economic opportunities of the Clean Revolution, and profiles how innovative leadership is already transforming policies and markets around the world.

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Astana, Kazakhstan - Leaders and former leaders of five states, 11 current and former prime-ministers, 25 current and former ministers and 40 top managers of international organizations, transnational corporations and businesses, 12 Nobel laureates and renowned scientists will gather at the V Astana Economic Forum to share their proposals for the development and improvement of the global economy.

More than 6,000 delegates from 85 countries and more than 8000 active users of the G-Global communication platform from 143 countries around the world will participate in the discussion.

The need of constructive collaboration has been repeatedly said by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. Speaking from the rostrum of the solemn meeting in Astana to the world community on December 15, 2011, Nazarbayev said that “at the very beginning of 2009, in the midst of crisis, I took the initiative to the global financial reform.

I have said that that light anti-crisis measures will not save the world from the waves of the growing crisis. The course of events has confirmed these words, no one has been able to offer the world anti-crisis plan, which would be adopted by consensus, unfortunately, the formats of the G-20, G-8 show the inefficiency – discussing of the world anti-crisis plan is not even started.”

The Kazakhstani leader has declared that there is a necessity to dramatically expand the number of participants in the anti-crisis solution, and has initiated the idea of ​​the G-Global communication platform, where the Astana Econimic Forum is a working platform for. The President was sure that Kazakhstan has a mandate to address G20 countries and integrity of the world community: Kazakhstan leads the worldwide “For a Nuclear-Free World” movement and is a member of the United Nations.

“We have successfully chaired in the OSCE, held the first in the 21st century the OSCE summit in Astana. This year we led the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. We have held congresses of the world religions.

I listed those achievements, while initiating G-Global, because I am sure our offer will be heard,” concluded Mr. Nazarbayev. Obviously, the aim of the Kazakhstani Leader’s idea about formation of the G-Global is not simply increasing the number of participants in the development of anti-crisis measures, but the expansion of fundamentally different approaches to the reform of global finances. A qualitatively new approach of development will be discussed at the AEF, based on which the idea of ​​the Eurasian (world) “development” currency would be introduced.

Other important issues of the Forum are creation of a new model of strategic planning for transition to sustainable economy, global energy-ecological strategy, food security, “green economy”, alternative energy sources, and a single agricultural hub of the Customs Union countries.

The opinions of respected experts and the best recommendations of regular citizens will be united by the Dialogue of Leaders – a council of top-ranked officials of economics, business, politics and media – which is an exclusive event of the V AEF. At the end of the Forum the “Open Letter to G-20 countries” will be sent to the Organizing Committees of the G-8 and G-20, the UN, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Everyone can participate in the development of recommendations for G-20 countries on the site of the G-Global communication platform of the Astana Economic Forum.

Organizers of the V Astana Economic Forum: “Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists”, 14 Ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Welfare Fund “Samruk-Kazyna”, United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization, Reinventing Bretton-Woods Committee, Madrid Club, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and others.

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NEW YORK, U.S.A.- Experts and speakers dedicated to the empowerment of African women to gather in Libreville, Gabon

The Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women, in association with Mrs. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, the first lady of Gabon, will be hosting the 2012 installment of Dialogue for Action Africa (DFAA) in Libreville, Gabon. Dedicated to helping women in Africa lead safe, productive, and healthy lives, the forum seeks to creatively address the salient issues faced by African women.

In addition to special remarks by Cecilia Attias and Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, DFAA will feature a unique collection of inspiring experts and speakers from academia, government, NGOs, the private sector, and the medical community. Cecilia Attias comments: “The diversity and expertise of Dialogue for Action Africa’s speakers is astounding. Their dedication to women’s issues is truly inspiring and their insights will be enable us to promote African women’s issues through actionable initiatives.”

These initiatives will culminate in a Plan of Action for Africa, which will be presented at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico in June. At the G20, DFAA’s conclusions will become part of the global agenda and will be discussed by the world’s most influential leaders and policy makers. Creating this bridge between DFAA and government leaders is key to producing change at an institutional level and is an innovative example of public-private partnerships.

Confirmed DFAA speakers and participants include: Hon. Aicha Bah Diallo, FAWE Chairperson and Advisor to the Director-General UNESCO Education; Holly Gordon, Vice President, Project Development, The Documentary Group; Sade Baderinwa, Emmy Award-winning news anchor;

Dr. Amy Lehman, Founder Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic; Magatte Wade, Founder and CEO Tiossano; Vickie Remoe, Founder and Creative Director How4Do productions; Casey Cobell, EVP & Country Director Indego Africa Rwanda; Philisiwe Buthelizi, CEO National Empowerment Fund; Fatime Christiane Ndiaye, Sr. Gender Specialist International Labour Organization; Elizabeth Dearborn Davis, Co-Founder of the Akilah Institute for Women; Edna Adan Ismail, Midwife, Founder Edna Adan Hospital; Nahid Toubia, Founder of RAINBO; Coumba Toure, educator and artist; Yomi Abiola, Activist and journalist; and Zainab Salbi, Founder Women for Women International.

Dialogue for Action Africa will be held in conjunction with the New York Forum Africa, an annual action-oriented assembly of the world’s leading business, economic, and regulatory officials. By collaborating with New York Forum Africa, DFAA is seeking to build crosscutting partnerships between the worlds of business and NGOs.

New York Forum Africa founder Richard Attias comments: “Non-profits and private enterprises have much to share with one another. They can collaborate on a host of topics, from tackling issues related to efficiency and financing to engaging in discussions of mission and ethics. Collaboration between Dialogue for Action Africa and the New York Forum Africa is a step in this direction.”

For more information please visit the Dialogue for Action Africa website at: http://www.ceciliaattiasfoundation.org/DialogueForActionAfrica

For more information please contact:

Cecilia Attias Foundation For Women

Online presence

http://www.ceciliaattiasfoundation.org

http://www.fondationsylviabongoondimba.org

http://www.ny-forum-africa.com

http://www.richardattiasassociates.com

Don’t forget to follow on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/Ceciliaattias

http://twitter.com/Sylviabongo

http://twitter.com/nyforum

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