The International Association of Collateral and Social Credit was incorporated on 28 September 1957 in Milan, Italy. It is a non-profit organisation that represents and coordinates associated bodies that carry out credit activities with pledge warranties, also known as social loans in the broadest sense, and by their national associations. It has its own legal status and is governed by its Articles of Incorporation which were approved on 24 September 2004
Presence on three continents
Currently, the Association comprises fifty-four bodies belonging to fourteen countries on three continents (Europe, America and Africa). Our Association is very useful as a vehicle that facilitates an exchange of experiences, innovation, knowledge, operative systems, products and services, new technologies, the prevention of fraud, fake jewellery and other valuables that can be pledged in our associate bodies, as well as the collaboration and communication between their representatives and the valuers and the technical staff.
Likewise, our Association brings together bodies concerned about their social environment. They actively fight against financial exclusion through collateral loans, microcredits and other social credit formulas. Our Association’s organisational structure and performance are defined in detail in the Articles of Association in force. The full text is transcribed below. Our governing bodies are the General Meeting and the Standing Committee. A meeting is held regularly each year and is organised by an entity, member of the Association, which has made an application to host it.
International forum
The annual meetings constitute an important international forum of opinion where ideas, innovations, products and knowledge of all kinds are exchanged (on regulations, technology, fraud prevention and the fraudulent appraisal of jewels and other objects that may be pledged, for instance) related to the world of collateral and social loans and their complementary activities (auctions, microcredits, direct sale of pledged objects, jewel evaluation, expert appraisal of art and antiques, and so on).
The Annual Meetings are chaired by the presidents and managers of the associate Bodies, on the one part, and on the other, by valuers and people who work in the field of collateral and social loans. Membership also enables personal contact with other members.
Within the sphere of collateral loans, there is hardly any competition among the various Institutions operating, which enables the transfer and exchange of know-how and innovations generously and without restrictions, doubts or fears to be expected among direct competitors. The majority of our Association members are private institutions that form part of banks or savings banks, or public institutions dependent on municipal Administrations, or even public bodies adscript to determined public or ministerial Departments, with a social nature.
