Credit unions in the 21st century must work to provide access for the five billion people in the world who are without any affordable financial service, delegates were told yesterday at the opening session of the World Council of Credit Unions' conference in Killarney, Co Kerry.

"The credit union movement is one of the greatest movements in the world for what it does for ordinary human beings," Mr John Hume, the nobel laureate and a founder member of the Irish League of Credit Unions, told the 700 delegates drawn from 25 countries.

He appealed to Irish credit union leaders to consult with organisations such as Trocaire and Goal to work out a plan for the World Council of Credit Unions to address global poverty.

Credit unions not only tackled poverty, they crossed the political divide and had a role to play in conflict resolution, he said.

In 40 years, the credit union he helped found in Derry with less than £6 now had 22,000 members and £45 million (€57 million) in savings. Ireland now has 2.2 million credit union members. "No organisation has contributed more to the economy of this country and it's about time more of this was said and the movement got the credit," he said.

There were now 105 million members in 85 countries and 39,000 credit unions.

Earlier the conference was addressed by the President, Mrs McAleese. She told delegates that credit unions instilled a spirit of community responsibility which was fully compatible with the self-interest of the individual.