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  R Rural Finance and

FAO has identified practical actions and approaches for improving and expanding the provision of rural financial services: • increase economic opportunities and build the management capacity of rural entrepreneurs to use finance effectively through training and business- development linkages; • mitigate risk in finance and investment through improving assessment tools and linking finance to the agricultural value chain; • introduce cost-effective, flexible and longer term loan products that use new approaches and technologies to meet farm and agro-industrial needs; • lower costs and promote effective management of diverse rural financial institutions by improving information systems and technologies; • develop policies and mobilize support for sound interventions in financial markets. (...) In addition, FAO: • provides advisory services in value-chain finance by working with financial institutions and developing products and linkages with input suppliers, large agribusiness firms and marketing companies, to help improve methods of financial service provision; • organizes and participates in strategic workshops and fora to share lessons, support policy and regulatory reform, and motivate national, regional and global action; • carries out advisory missions, when requested, to support technical improvement, training and policy development. (...) In keeping with its mandate to gather and share knowledge and expertise, Fao’s rural finance activities focus on four key areas: • developing sustainable financial and business linkages among banks, local financial and microfinance institutions, producer organizations, agro-enterprises and support service providers; • improving small farmers’ access to financial services throughout the value chain; • improving the products, services and operational systems of financial service providers; • sharing and using the lessons learned to improve services and policies in other countries. © FA O /G iu s e p p e B iz z A r r i

Score: 793459.47 - https://www.un.org/esa/sustdev...fao_factsheet/ruralfinance.pdf

  WTO | News - 1998 news items - Non-attributable summary of the main improvements in the new financia

(Codes indicating the major areas of improvement: I=Insurance, B=Banking, S=Securities, O=Other financial services.) (...) Honduras - Making improvements to its Uruguay Round schedule: - Extends its commitments to factoring services and provision and transfer of financial information (O). (...) Peru - Improving its commitments made in the Uruguay Round: - Makes commitments in banking and other financial services for the first time, with few limitations on market access for commercial presence (B,S,O); - Improves its existing commitments in insurance and insurance-related services (I).

Score: 789835.25 - https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news98_e/finsum.htm

  Background | Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

The analysis of the state of financial inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrates that the region is characterized by: a low and unequal access to the formal financial system by households and SMEs; and a limited number of instruments and mechanisms for improving financial insertion of productive agents that form part of the formal financial system. (...) Inclusiveness also refers to improvements in the usage of the financial system of those that already belong to the formal financial circuit. (...) Expected results The expected results include: The strengthening of public financial policies to promote financial inclusion of SMEs; Improvements of development banks’ financial instruments to mobilize resources for productive development; Dissemination of information.

Score: 783022 - https://www.cepal.org/en/inclu...on-financiera-pymes/background

  WTO | Services: Financial services - Overview of the 1995 and 1997 negotiations on financial service

As a result of the 1995 negotiations, 29 WTO members (counting the EU as one) improved their schedules of specific commitments and/or removed, suspended or reduced the scope of their MFN exemption in financial services. (...) Members again had an opportunity to improve, modify or withdraw their commitments in financial services and to take MFN exemptions in the sector from 1 November until 12 December 1997( 1 ) .1 As a result of the negotiations, a new and improved set of commitments in financial services under the GATS was agreed on 12 December 1997. (...) Improvements were made in all of the three major financial service sectors — banking, securities and insurance — as well as in other services, such as asset management and provision and transfer of financial information.   

Score: 782387.35 - https://www.wto.org/english/tr...finance_e/finance_fiback_e.htm

  PORTUGUESE COMMENTS ON ITU DRAFT FINANCIAL PLAN

PORTUGUESE COMMENTS ON ITU DRAFT FINANCIAL PLAN INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION Document: WG-SP-FP-06/37 28 June 2006 Council Working Group for the Elaboration of the Draft Strategic Plan and the Draft Financial Plan, 2008-2011 English GENEVA, 27 and 28 JUNE 2006 PORTUGUESE COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT FINANCIAL PLAN I Introduction 1.1 The present memorandum contains the comments of the Portuguese delegation on the Draft Financial Plan and the new documents presented to the Council Working Group for the elaboration of the Draft Strategic Plan and the Draft Financial Plan, for the period 2008-2011. 1.2 Consistently with the position taken during the 2006 Council in April and after an analysis of the revised figures, Portugal has the following introductory comments: • The documents presented now show an effort to address some of the issues on the Draft Financial Plan made at the Council; • The revisions made do not represent however significant improvements of form or substance, as compared to the original document; • Due to the implementation yet in progress of the project for the linkage between strategic, operational and financial planning (KPI project), the document cannot reflect the benefits which the project will bring to the quality of the planning and management of ITU. (...) In the case of the later, the implementation of RBB, ICT tools and others do not represent by themselves an improvement unless all the related implications are taken in consideration. (...) None of these subjects are addressed in the Draft Financial Plan as ITU management considers that the “Union has reached the limits of what can be realized for the optimisation of resources”. 2.10 This assumption is difficult to accept as a valuable one for the preparation of the Draft Financial Plan, as there are clearly significant opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs, and this should be considered in the Draft Financial Plan.

Score: 781653.66 - https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/st...bution-portugal-28-june-06.pdf

  INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION P:\SPEA\SPU\AVITA\STRATPLAN\RAG-19_WW9.DOC 15.10.01 15.10.01 (121673) United Kingdom LINKING OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING 1 Introduction The Plenipotentiary Conference (Minneapolis, 1998) recognized: in the Strategic Plan, the need for improving transparency in the budgetary process; in Resolution 72, the need for linking strategic, financial and operational planning in the ITU; and, in Resolution 74, the need to improve functioning and management. (...) One way these improvements could be achieved is to adopt a mechanism used by some administrations; the development of a rolling work and resource plan for ITU's next five financial years. (...) Council, at each mid-year meeting, would have a clear indication of the resource requirements for ITU's next financial year and improved indication of the requirements for subsequent financial years.

Score: 780341.9 - https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/st...tributions02/uk/RAG-19_ww9.pdf

  INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION - 3 - INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION Document 129-E 26 March 2001 Original: English Working Group on ITU REFORM SALVADOR — FOURTH MEETING -— (2 – 6 APRIL 2001) United Kingdom Linking Operational and Financial Planning Introduction The Plenipotentiary Conference (Minneapolis, 1998) recognized: in the Strategic Plan, the need for improving transparency in the budgetary process; in Resolution 72, the need for linking strategic, financial and operational planning in the ITU; and, in Resolution 74, the need to improve functioning and management. (...) One way these improvements could be achieved is to adopt a mechanism used by some administrations: the development of a rolling multi-year financial and operational plan. (...) At each mid‑year meeting, Council would have a clear indication of the resource requirements for the ITU's next financial year and improved indication of the requirements for subsequent financial years.

Score: 780116.55 - https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/st...ributions02/uk/WGR-129_ww9.doc

  INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION - 3 - RAG2001-1/19-E INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION Document RAG2001-1/19-E 23 February 2001 Original: English RADIOCOMMUNICATION ADVISORY GROUP GENEVA, 12 - 16 MARCH 2001 United Kingdom Linking Operational and Financial Planning 1 Introduction The Plenipotentiary Conference (Minneapolis, 1998) recognized: in the Strategic Plan, the need for improving transparency in the budgetary process; in Resolution 72, the need for linking strategic, financial and operational planning in the ITU; and, in Resolution 74, the need to improve functioning and management. (...) One way these improvements could be achieved is to adopt a mechanism used by some administrations; the development of a rolling work and resource plan for ITU's next five financial years. (...) Council, at each mid‑year meeting, would have a clear indication of the resource requirements for ITU's next financial year and improved indication of the requirements for subsequent financial years.

Score: 779139.36 - https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/st...tributions02/uk/RAG-19_ww9.doc

  Page 17 - ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services – Interoperability

Typical contents of a national retail payments strategy or policy framework include: Vision, Assessment, Strategy Objectives, Coordination and Implementation Mechanisms, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems, and Action Plan. 2 It should be noted that an additional crucial role of a national retail payments strategy or policy framework is to help stakeholders to strengthen and publicize their goals and commitments in relation to the objectives of the reform effort, clarify complementary roles and resolve any overlaps, and coordinate actions. 3.2 DFS, financial inclusion objectives and national financial inclusion strategies In recent years the development of the NPS, in particular of retail payments, is being geared in many cases to improving the efficiency of payments and to the promotion and achievement of financial inclusion objectives. In this context, development of DFS and digital delivery mechanism are regarded as critical tools for the achievement of both financial inclusion and efficiency objectives. Indeed, DFS are recognized as having a high potential to safely expand financial services to under-served market segments (e.g. by improving proximity, which is a basic condition for adopting and using a product/service like a transaction account), and to improve the quality, appropriateness, and impact of financial services. (...) A strategy can promote a more effective and efficient process to achieve significant improvements in financial inclusion. Engagement with the private sector, including through structured consultation, can help ensure the success of the strategy and the relevance of the goals set.”

Score: 778549.66 - https://www.itu.int/en/publica...y/files/basic-html/page17.html

  INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

One way these improvements could be achieved is to adopt a mechanism used by some administrations: the development of a rolling multi-year financial and operational plan. (...) At each mid-year meeting, Council would have a clear indication of the resource requirements for the ITU's next financial year and improved indication of the requirements for subsequent financial years. (...) Provision of some devolved budgetary authority to the Advisory Groups would permit the review of the Bureau's financial and operational plan to be more effective, thus improving feedback on issues that affect the work of the Sector.

Score: 777886.23 - https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/st...ributions02/uk/WGR-129_ww9.pdf