Who is PIGNUS?
The International Association of Collateral Loan and Social Credit Institutions, established on September 28, 1957, in Milan, is a nonprofit organization that represents and coordinates its member institutions engaged in pawnbroking or social credit activities, as well as their national associations. It has its own legal personality and is governed by its own statutes.
Governing bodies and annual meetings
The governing bodies of PIGNUS are the General Assembly and the Standing Committee. Meetings of both bodies are typically held annually at the headquarters of one of the member organizations that volunteers to host the event.
Thanks to this arrangement, in recent years PIGNUS meetings have been held in cities around the world, such as Paris, Lima, Buenos Aires, Seville, Mexico City, Vienna, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile, Rome, Puebla (Mexico), Algiers, Geneva, León (Spain), New York, Madrid, Bologna, Mérida (Mexico), and Santo Domingo, among many others.
Operating on 4 continents
The Association currently comprises twenty-two organizations, including two national associations (which in turn include twenty other institutions), plus five observer members. Pignus Members come from from twenty-two countries across four continents (the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe).
Focus on Association Services
Given the unique nature of the pawnbroking business, PIGNUS serves as a platform vor the exchange of experiences among organizations with very different cultural and geographical backgrounds. During meetings — typically attended by a high percentage of the association’s members — as well as during periodic webinars and seminars, the latest technological innovations and operational systems are presented, and information is shared about new products and services marketed by members. The Association also plans, in the short and medium term, to improve its services for the members focused on training, technology, and the improvement of its members’ business processes and skills.
“Among PIGNUS members, expertise in pawnbroking becomes a shared asset”
International Discussion Forum
Annual member meetings serve as an important international forum for discussion and the exchange of ideas. PIGNUS is one of the oldest international industry associations independent of governments or multilateral organizations and is supported exclusively by member contributions. It stands out for its autonomy, institutional strength, and the prominence of its member institutions. Over time, it has developed strong relationships with international organizations such as the World Bank, WTO, IDB, and CAF, as well as with academic institutions and financial regulatory authorities, including the EBA.
PIGNUS’s primary mission is to promote, modernize, and disseminate pawnbroking worldwide—one of the oldest forms of formal financial activity.
