Highlights

The V Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise was a success with more than 1,000 participants from 25 countries from around the world.

The three-day event had 3 plenary sessions with more than 700 people and 30 workshops with more than 150 people. The topics of these workshops were, to mention a few:

· New Developments in Microfinance Regulation
· Entrepreneurship in Latin America
· Rural Financial Services
· Simplifying Business Registration
· The Most Common Mistakes in Microfinance
· Consumer Credit versus Microenterprise Credit
· Women Entrepreneurs
· Business Linkages
· Transparency and Rating for Microfinance Institutions

The publications launched during this event were:

· MicroEnterprise Americas (second edition) - IDB
· Manuals for Managers of Financial Institutions - BNDES
· Guide to Reduce the Impact of Natural Disasters in Microfinance Institutions - IDB
· Human Development, Fair Work Environment, and Future of Entrepreneurship for Small Business in Brazil - SEBRAE
· Evaluation Report of Profund - FOMIN

The Signing of Agreements in the V Forum between IDB and organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean were:

· Social Entrepreneurship Project - "Support for Small Cashew Farmers" signed with Sociedad Cooperativa de Productores de Marañón (SCPM)
· Social Entrepreneurship Project - "Comprehensive Agricultural Development of the Nuevo Horizonte Community" signed with Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte
· MIF Proyect - "Strengthening of Accounting and Financial Information Systems for Unregulated Microfinance   Institutions" signed with REDIMIF
· IDB signed agreement of 30 million dollars with Banco do Nordeste to expand CrediAmigo program, which offers   microcredit to one of the poorest regions in Brazil.

Signing of Agreements between MIF and organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean:

· MIF, BNDES, SEBRAE and the administrative company Mercatto Venture Partners signed an agreement to invest 4.5   million dollars in a fund that will support emerging software companies in Rio de Janeiro.
· MIF also signed a donation of 2 million dollars to suppport SEBRAE's project which promotes the development of   industrial districts

The First Lady of Brazil and the President of the Board of Comunidade Solidaria, Ruth Cardoso, made a special presentation. The General Secretary of UNCTAD and the Ex-minister of Housing of Brazil, Rubens Ricupero moderated the panel on Business Linkages. The Vice-minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise of Guatemala, Edmundo Nanne, invited all participants to the VI Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise to be held next year in Guatemala.