Princess Máxima Advises on the Use of Microfinance

At the invitation of Luis Alberto Moreno, the president of IADB, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands spoke at an assembly of the Inter American Development Bank in Amsterdam this week. She is a member of the Executive Committee on the United Nations Advisors groups on Inclusive Financial Sectors. The princess is an advocate for microfinance, but in her speech reminded the audience of the pratfalls if not managed effectively. She said that governments should not be lenders, but rather the moderators of the process. As she close her remarks, Princess Máxima reiterated that microfinance would not solve the poverty crisis readily, but it could “be a catalyst for growth.”

The full text of Princess Máxima’s speech at an assembly of the Inter American Development Bank on January 21, 2007 can be read here.