"Inclusive and Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Balkans"

The report from the conference “Inclusive and sustainable development: The role of finance - Lessons from the Balkans” organised by ÖFSE – The Austrian Research Foundation for International Development on December 5, 2012 is available.

For several years, microfinance has been regarded as one of the main instruments that might be used to achieve economic development by mobilizing resources, increasing the volume of local productive investment and meeting the needs of different groups of the society. However, the microcredit-sector in Bosnia crashed in 2010, and its positive reputation has been severely damaged within Bosnian society.

The conference addressed the following questions:
What conclusions can be drawn from the experience of the Balkans and other regions for the design of financial systems in support of inclusive and sustainable economic development?
Which financial sector reforms should be implemented in the Balkan countries in this context?
Which role could and should international institutions and donors play in this respect?
What are the economic, social and political effects of the implosion of the microcredit bubble in Bosnia?
What role did European banks and, specifically, microfinance institutions play in this context?
What are their lessons learnt?

Download the report here (pdf).

Source: ÖFSE - The Austrian Research Foundation for International Development