Unicaja Banco’s support contributes to Cifal Málaga being the first center in its global network to advance financial inclusion within its general objective of social inclusion and to turn it into a training center of reference for the Mediterranean region.
As part of this agreement, Unicaja Banco, which is part of the management structure and Executive Committee of Cifal Malaga, will participate in the organization and development of different training activities related to the principles of financial inclusion, reinforcing its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
Unicaja Banco’s support to this project falls within the permanent exercise of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as well as within its interest to strengthen the principles of good governance and sustainable economic development in the areas where it operates.
Unicaja Banco reaffirms its commitment to the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (Cifal) Malaga, fostered by the UN -through its agency United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)- with the execution of an agreement under which the financial institution, in the exercise of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), provides economic support to this Center, for the development of the framework agreement entered into with UNITAR in July and aimed at contributing to launch a series of policies and practices to promote financial inclusion and sustainable development.
In this sense, Unicaja Banco’s support makes Cifal Malaga to be the first center in its global network to advance financial inclusion within its general objective of social inclusion.
In particular, under the agreement, Unicaja Banco offers Cifal Malaga –the second Cifal center in Spain-, economic support to turn it into a training center of reference for the Mediterranean region, where local, regional and national leaders will be able to build capacity to set the basis for a sustainable development in their communities and contribute to improve the quality of life of their societies.
The agreement has been signed by the Chairman of Unicaja Banco, Manuel Azuaga; UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNITAR Executive Director, Nikhil Seth, and Division Director and Manager of UNITAR’s Cifal Network, Alex Mejía. The event has also been attended by the CEO of Unicaja Banco, Enrique Sánchez del Villar; by the Vice-Chairman of the financial institution, Victorio Valle; by Malaga Mayor, Francisco de la Torre; and by the Director of Cifal Malaga, Julio Andrade.
Unicaja Banco’s Chairman, Manuel Azuaga, remarks that with this agreement ‘Unicaja Banco build closer ties with the UN, in particular with UNITAR and the Cifal Global Network, and it explicitly reinforces its support for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’. He adds that ‘Cifal Network and in Cifal Malaga in particular, there are elements Unicaja Banco, as part of its own philosophy and its Corporate Social Responsibility, is fully identified with: knowledge, innovation, training and strategic planning. In sum, the efforts made have allowed us to have the privilege of having a Cifal Center in Malaga and our presence in this forum falls within the link and commitment of Unicaja Banco to this city’.
UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNITAR Executive Director, Nikhil Seth thanked the Chairman of Unicaja Banco in the name of UNITAR for the support given by the financial institution, and remarked that ‘this new strategic alliance is of importance to the United Nations, because it motivates Malaga citizens to embrace the Sustainable Development Goals and to join efforts with Malaga City Council to make a better community of their city. Unicaja Banco’s support will allow building capacity for people committed to fight against poverty and to the economic development of our communities’.
Cifal Malaga (www.cifalmalaga.org) works to promote training and to facilitate the exchange of best practices in social inclusion, governance and urban planning between local and regional authorities, leaders of international organizations, private sector and academic institutions. All of that with the purpose of contributing to the development and improving the quality of life. It is a project which has the collaboration of institutions such as the Malaga City Council, Malaga Province Council, University of Malaga (UMA) and the Malaga Confederation of Business Owners (CEM), as well as Unicaja Banco.
Unicaja Banco, member of the Executive Committee of Cifal Malaga
Within the framework of this agreement, Unicaja Banco, which is part of the management structure of Cifal Malaga, through its Executive Committee, will also participate in the organization and implementation of different training activities to incorporate in its corporate structure financial inclusion and good governance principles, as well as to reinforce its commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
Among those goals, the UN establish as a priority to ensure equal access to natural and economic resources, basic and financial services, property and new technologies, by the application of policies contributing to promote quality job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, as well as to boost the growth of SMEs.
Cifal Malaga works to achieve those targets, with the collaboration of Unicaja Banco and other institutions, with the organization of lectures and workshops to serve as a hub for the exchange of knowledge and practical solutions on financial inclusion, sustainable development and end of poverty, both between government officials and among the private sector and financial institutions.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Unicaja Banco’s support to this project falls within the permanent exercise of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as well as within its interest to contribute and strengthen the principles of good governance and sustainable economic development in the areas where it operates. The institution joined the UN Global Compact in 2013 and the Spanish Network of the UN Global Compact in 2017.
Cifal Malaga is the fourth center of this network in Europe, of a total of 18 centers throughout the five continents, the second one in Spain and the first one to advance financial inclusion within its general goal of social inclusion. It intends to become a training center of reference for the Mediterranean region, where local, national and regional authorities, private sector and civil society leaders will be able to build capacity to promote the sustainable development of their communities.
