News
CEB Governor participates in Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion Forum
3 May 2017
BERLIN – The Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) Rolf Wenzel participated in the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) Forum, held in Berlin on 2-3 May.
On 2 May Governor Wenzel participated in a panel discussion on the “Financial inclusion of forcibly displaced persons”. In his opening statement, the Governor outlined some of the steps that the CEB was taking in order to assist migrants, refugees and displaced persons in Europe, particularly in terms of promoting social and financial inclusion.
“Social integration and financial inclusion go hand in hand,” said Governor Wenzel. “In that respect access to the labour market, basic services and professional training or re-training is crucial. This, among other things, is what the CEB is striving to help its member countries to achieve, so we can fight exclusion and create strong, inclusive, prosperous democracies,” he concluded.The GPFI Forum was organised within the framework of Germany’s presidency of the G20, which began in December 2016 and will culminate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held in Hamburg in July 2017.
Set up in 1956, the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) has 41 member states. Twenty-two Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries, forming the Bank's target countries, are listed among the member states. As a major instrument of the policy of solidarity in Europe, the Bank finances social projects by making available resources raised in conditions reflecting the quality of its rating (Aa1 with Moody's, outlook stable, AA+ with Standard & Poor's, outlook stable and AA+ with Fitch Ratings, outlook stable). It thus grants loans to its member states, and to financial institutions and local authorities in its member states for the financing of projects in the social sector, in accordance with its Articles of Agreement.