Madison, WI (November 3, 2025) |
In this edition of The Cooperative Connection, we look back on a month packed with WOCCU data research, including the 2024 Statistical Report. We also highlight how WOCCU executives joined our member organizations and their credit unions across the globe to celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day® 2025 on Thursday, October 16, under the theme - Cooperation for a Prosperous World. And we get you ready for the start of registration for the 2026 World Credit Union Conference in Australia!
A Month of Research and Reports
2024 Statistical Report Released
WOCCU's 2024 Statistical Report features the most comprehensive data set in the history of the annual publication—with statistics on credit union global trends, demographics, regulatory supervision, strategic priorities and risk concerns. Thomas Belekevich, WOCCU Director of Member Services, produced the report once again this year, and discusses how a tighter methodology and a thorough approach to the data collection led to the most accurate version of the report to date, on Episode 54 of The Global Credit Union Podcast. Listen here.
Study on Credit Union Innovations in Housing
Filene Research Institute, in collaboration with WOCCU, published a major new study examining how credit unions can play a more impactful role in addressing housing challenges. The report, written by Eileen Miamidian, WOCCU Technical Director of Inclusive Financial Services, highlights innovative strategies, barriers and opportunities that U.S.-based credit unions face in delivering affordable, accessible and sustainable housing solutions to their members. Future installments of the Housing Innovation Series will examine how credit unions can innovate to improve housing security worldwide. Learn more.
Celebrating International Credit Union (ICU) Day® with MembersTreinen Encourages Participation
Paul Treinen, WOCCU President and CEO, joined together with Mike Reuter, President of Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU), to encourage credit unions on six continents to share their celebrations on social media, using #ICUDay2025. Paul also recorded several individual messages for our members celebrating the 77th anniversary of this international holiday on Thursday, October 16. Celebrated under the theme "Cooperation for a Prosperous World" for 2025, ICU Day has been recognized on the third Thursday of October since 1948 to reflect on the credit union movement's history, promote its achievements, recognize hard work and share member experiences.
Celebrating ICU Day in South America
Thomas Belekevich spent #ICUDay2025 at the XIII Convention of Savings and Credit Cooperatives in Lima, Peru, hosted by FENACREP, our direct member organization in the country. He presented findings from our 2024 Statistical Report after flying directly from Accra, Ghana, where he was participating in the 2025 SACCA Congress, hosted by the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA).
A Focus on International Advocacy
Alternative ID Can Unlock Financial Inclusion
That's the theme of a new thought leadership article written by Paul Andrews, WOCCU Vice President of International Advocacy. Paul examines how credit unions are embracing alternative identification methods to bring the unbanked and underbanked into the financial fold. Learn More at CU Insight.
An Upcoming Visit to the European Union
Paul Andrews and Erin O'Hern, WOCCU International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel, will travel November 18-20 with representatives from the European Network of Credit Unions (ENCU) to Brussels, Belgium, for meetings with the EU Parliament and European Commission, and to attend the EPIF 10th Annual European Payments Conference. The week will wrap up with half of the group traveling with Erin for meetings at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris, and the rest of the delegates heading to London with Paul for meetings at the UK Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority.
Registration for WCUC 2026 Opens Soon!
Registration for the 2026 World Credit Union Conference opens this month. WOCCU is co-hosting WCUC 2026 from July 19-22, in Sydney, Australia, with the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA), our direct member in Australia. Stay tuned to wcuc.org for the very latest.
WOCCU Member News
- Matt Bland on Labour Conference: ‘We must seize this opportunity with both hands’
- Cooperative Financial Convention puts on the table analysis of the supervision model
- NACUFOK hits 171,000 Moamoa Account signups nine months after launch
