International Cooperation

Once again, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ criteria reaffirms a previous decision by the BBVA Foundation. Banerjee and Duflo, founders of MIT’s Poverty Action Laboratory, were honored in the first edition of BBVA Foundation’s Frontiers of Knowledge awards in 2008. Considering that ten Frontiers of Knowledge awardees have been subsequently recognized by the Swedish Academy, it could be argued that, to a certain extent, BBVA Foundation’s awards are becoming a prelude to the Nobel awards.

The BBVA Foundation has granted Colombian epidemiologist Nubia Muñoz its Frontiers of Knowledge award in Development Cooperation, for her work in establishing that infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the principal cause of cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of death among women in developing countries. Muñoz has also been instrumental in the development of the first effective vaccine against this virus, capable of preventing 70% of all cervical cancers.

The regulation of the digital world is a key issue for Latin America and a necessary condition for achieving relevance in this field on a global level.  So far, Latin American regulators have adopted a “wait-and-see” attitude that aims to avoid slowing down innovation. However, a lack of action on the regulatory front could put the brakes on innovation in industries such as finance.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González, and the Chairman of the CAF -Latin American Development Bank-, Luis Carranza, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that strengthens their ties in Latin America and formalizes the existing institutional relationship the two organizations have shared for many years.

This is the message the G20 wanted to transmit at the end of the summit that took place last weekend in Hamburg, Germany. However, it does not seem that this actually reflects the tone among the heads of state. The main point of disagreement was around the U.S. position on climate change.  They agreed on issues related to opening markets, international trade and the stability of the financial system.

Hand in hand with his wife Winnie, Nelson Mandela left Víctor Verster Prison as a free man for the first time in 27 years. At the gate, a police cordon held back the emotional crowd that was waiting for the South African leader and that blocked the path of the car that took Mandela to Cape Town’s Grand Parade, the square that was jammed with the hundreds of thousands of other supporters awaited him on the day of his liberation.

Francisco González, Group Executive Chairman of BBVA, presented the book The Next Step: Exponential Life in an event held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  This work collects the insights of twenty of the world’s most authoritative voices in a number of fields, analyzing the tremendous opportunities – and the risks and uncertainties – that the so-called “exponential technologies” will bring to humanity

The U.K. is convinced that London will continue to be Europe's fintech capital and a global financial center after Brexit. But other European capitals are hoping to take its place. It will all depend on the long negotiation about to begin between the EU and the U.K.

Today, BBVA CFO Jaime Saénz de Tejada stressed the important role the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) plays as a partner and lender for Latin America’s private sector. He also underscored BBVA’s close relationship with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with which the bank is collaborating on numerous fronts.

“It is really moving to see this type of initiatives and how a Foundation like ours can do so much in favor of society. These people have access to loan facilities, but they manage to move forward thanks to their own efforts and will to fight. Their work is spectacular and we are already seeing progress in future generations; their kids and grandchildren go to school and many even make it to college. For me, it has been an incredible visit,” said Francisco González during his visit to some of the projects supported by the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF) in Soacha, a city just outside of Bogota (Colombia).

Javier M. Flores, CEO of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, renewed the foundation's commitment with the Sustainable Development Goals Fund until 2019. During the session held at the headquarters of United Nations, the SDG Fund also presented the report “Universality and the SDGs: A Business Perspective”. This publication examines some of the key issues facing companies when incorporating and implementing the SDGs within their core strategy.

Fintech firms could be the saving grace for the U.K.’s financial sector, but greater complications to attract global talent could pose a serious problem. It all depends on the political negotiations.

The planet’s survival is an issue over which, by definition, all interests converge. Finally, after wasting precious decades and, with some exceptions, renewable energies seem to be managing to get politicians, businesses and citizens to unite and fight for a common cause.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, has recently awarded consultative status to the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF), in recognition of the Foundation's work in its sphere of action: microfinance for development.

The recent report, The Business of Financial Inclusion: Insights from Banks in Emerging Markets represents a new endeavor for the Institute of International Finance (IIF). It is based on the insights of 24 executives in charge of financial inclusion, a topic of growing interest.

The trade finance or foreign trade activity accompanies people and businesses in their activity importing/exporting goods and services, mitigating the risks that exist in international commercial relations and simplifying the settlement of operations. The same commercial transaction can require different solutions over time, depending on the moment at which it takes place and the role of the parties involved (importer or exporter).

After enduring over 40 civil wars during the 19th century, the 20th century brought the rise of the guerilla warfare to Colombia. Today, in the midst of the 21st century, the country still does not know what it means to live in peace. But hope remains alive today more than ever, thanks to the strides made in the negotiation process that Juan Manuel Santos’ government is holding with the two only guerrillas that remain active in the country, and in Latin America at large: The FARC or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the ELN or National Freedom Army. Signing a final deal with these two groups would mean the end of one of the world’s longest-running conflicts in the world.

It wasn’t long ago that Jean-Claude Juncker said that politicians all knew what measures were needed to resolve Europe’s problems, but no one knew how to get re-elected after applying them. Now the situation is more complicated. Europe is facing new problems, and it is no longer what needs to be done to address them.

US and EU representatives agreed to extend the current round of talks regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), started on February 22nd, two additional weeks. Both parties were clear about their satisfaction regarding the ground covered over the past days, and ratified their commitment to conclude an agreement in 2016.

Up until now, many things have been written about the possible consequences – positive and not so positive – of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the US for the European Union. What has not been discussed so widely are the agreement’s geopolitical repercussions on both sides of the Atlantic.

According to the Global Findex (2014) report, only 15% of adults worldwide use electronic money, and a lot of them live in developing countries.

Africa continues to be a challenge for many companies seeking to do business in countries with very particular conditions, and where the most successful policy is often not to think in terms of what isn't there, but to take maximum advantage of the resources that are available. A few years ago M-Pesa triumphed with its model, which now needs to be replicated to achieve the same success in other nations on the continent.

La Vela is the main building in the new headquarters that the bank is building in Las Tablas. The office and service building complex is designed to accommodate a total of 6,000 employees, who will move in between June 2013 and the first quarter of 2015.