STOCKHOLM, Sweden–International advocacy was the topic of three breakout sessions during the World Credit Union Conference here.
WOCCU Vice President of International Advocacy Paul Andrews moderated a panel discussion that focused on navigating new developments in anti-money laundering (AML), financial crime prevention and sanctions.
According to WOCCU, all the panelists agreed that money laundering and financial crimes have largely become borderless and are evolving rapidly thanks to technology, which means the types of financial crimes and risks associated with them are moving much faster than the regulations.
Carrie Hunt, Chief Advocacy Officer for America’s Credit Unions, said the United States’ AML Act of 2020 is a perfect example of that. Five years later, it has yet to be implemented.
“Ultimately, we’re in this little bit of a stalled blackout period where we don’t have anything finalized because they’re still trying to dovetail what the functional regulators think needs to happen and what, ultimately, (U.S.) Treasury—which is the overarching regulator—thinks need to happen relative to these measures,” said Hunt.
New Awards, New Members
During its 2025 Annual General Meeting, the World Council of Credit Unions announced two new members.
Officials from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD – India) were on hand for the organization’s introduction as a new WOCCU Associate Member. In addition, Instituto Panameño Autónomo Cooperativo (IPACOOP) of Panama has become a new Supporting Member.
The AGM also featured the presentations of 2025’s Award and Distinguished Service Award.
USF Credit Union in Tampa, Fla. received WOCCU’s 2025 Digital Growth Award for its “Buy Now, Pay Later” product. Launched in June 2024, FlexPay helped USF Credit Union expand financial inclusion to underserved communities, WOCCU said.
“What we’re excited about is that we were able to take this innovation and combine it with two of our other values—community and passion—and be able to help members,” Juli Lewis, vice president of community engagement for USF Credit Union, said in a statement.
Individuals Recognized
WOCCU also presented Steven Stapp, CEO of Unitus Community CU in Oregon and Emmanuel Darko from Ghana with 2025 Distinguished Service Awards.
Stapp served on the WOCCU board for seven years, the last two as chair. His fellow WOCCU board members from the U.S. nominated Stapp for furthering the growth of global financial cooperatives from South Korea to Brazil, Kenya to the Caribbean and beyond, according to the organization.
“This has really been a family affair for me, being able to visit with credit union systems around the world, literally from Australia to Zimbabwe, and (they) have been there to support me on my journey, sometimes having to be away from home and family events, but knowing how important this cause has been,” said Stapp.
‘Remarkable Milestones’
Darko serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA), which nominated him for the award.
With a career spanning five decades, Darko has supported the growth and development of SACCOs across Africa through his has work with partners like WOCCU, the Irish League of Credit Unions’ Foundation, Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada and others, WOCU said.
“Today marks a remarkable milestone in my life, one I never would have imagined in my lifetime,” said Darko.
