{"id":8626,"date":"2025-09-17T17:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T15:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advansinternational.com\/?post_type=insights&p=8626"},"modified":"2026-03-17T17:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:02:11","slug":"client-protection-advans-cote-divoire-achieves-silver-certification","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/advansinternational.com\/en\/insights\/client-protection-advans-cote-divoire-achieves-silver-certification\/","title":{"rendered":"Client Protection: Advans C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire Achieves Silver Certification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Advans\u2019 Commitment to Client Protection<\/h2>\n

As international microfinance institutions<\/strong> continue to strengthen responsible finance standards, client protection and inclusive access to financial services remain central priorities. Through its commitment to certification and targeted initiatives, Advans demonstrates how MFIs in Africa <\/b>can combine strong governance, trust, and impact, particularly in advancing microfinance for women<\/strong>.\u00a0 Advans is committed to protecting its clients and promoting responsible practices for all by complying with international client protection standards. These standards guide financial institutions toward building long-term trust-based relationships with their clients, balancing financial inclusion with protection against risks of exploitation or vulnerability.<\/p>\n

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Following in the footsteps of Advans Tunisia: a benchmark certification<\/h3>\n

Advans Tunisia<\/a> is the first institution in the group in Africa to obtain MFR<\/a> certification. Audited at the beginning of 2025, it achieved the Gold level, recognizing several months of work dedicated to strengthening and formalizing its good practices in client protection.<\/p>\n

In this momentum, Advans C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire<\/a> became the second institution in the group to obtain Client Protection certification. Audited after Tunisia, it was awarded the Silver level by MFR in September 2025.<\/p>\n

These results reflect significant progress for Advans International, which aims to support all group institutions in obtaining this certification by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n

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The 7 International Client Protection Principles<\/h3>\n

An MFR-certified institution adheres to seven major international principles:<\/p>\n

1) Appropriate product design ensures that financial products meet clients\u2019 real needs, taking into account their financial situation and avoiding over-indebtedness, with the goal of providing tailored rather than standardized solutions.<\/p>\n

2) Over-indebtedness prevention involves systematically assessing repayment capacity before granting any loan, without excessive commercial pressure, with responsibility shared between the client and the institution.<\/p>\n

3) Transparency requires that financial conditions, including rates, fees, terms, and penalties, are communicated clearly and understandably, with no hidden costs or ambiguous clauses.<\/p>\n

4) Fair and respectful treatment ensures that all clients, including the most vulnerable, are treated with dignity and equity, which includes the behavior of staff and field agents.<\/p>\n

5) Confidentiality and data protection safeguard clients\u2019 personal and financial information against unauthorized use, supported by strict management and retention policies.<\/p>\n

6) Effective complaint mechanisms allow clients to submit concerns easily and receive proper follow-up, serving as a key indicator of service quality.<\/p>\n

7) Finally, ethical staff behavior is reinforced through training to act responsibly, avoid conflicts of interest, and place the client\u2019s best interest at the center of all actions.<\/p>\n

A still rare approach in the sector<\/h3>\n

To date, few microfinance institutions on the continent are certified in client protection. Within its network, Advans currently has two certified institutions: Advans C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire<\/a> with Silver certification and Advans Tunisia<\/a> with Gold certification. The Group aims to certify all its subsidiaries by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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MFR<\/strong> is an independent audit agency recognized internationally. It specializes in the evaluation and certification of organizations according to demanding standards of quality, compliance, and transparency. Thanks to its expertise and the rigor of its audit processes, MFR has established itself as a reliable benchmark for companies and institutions seeking to showcase their best practices. Its certification is widely recognized for its credibility and rigor.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":9226,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"insights_types":[143],"insights_tags":[165],"class_list":["post-8626","insights","type-insights","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insights_types-news-en","insights_tags-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nClient Protection: Advans C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire Achieves Silver Certification - Advans International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/advansinternational.com\/en\/insights\/client-protection-advans-cote-divoire-achieves-silver-certification\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Client Protection: Advans C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire Achieves Silver Certification - 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