A UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/RES/53/197 22 February 1999 Fifty-third session Agenda item 98 RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [on the report of the Second Committee (A/53/613)] 53/197. International Year of Microcredit, 2005 The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 52/194 of 18 December 1997 on the role of microcredit in the eradication of poverty, Recognizing that microcredit programmes have successfully contributed to lifting people out of poverty in many countries around the world, Bearing in mind that microcredit programmes have especially benefited women and have resulted in the achievement of their empowerment, Recognizing that microcredit programmes, in addition to their role in the eradication of poverty, have also been a factor contributing to the social and human development process, Bearing in mind the importance of microfinance instruments such as credit, savings and related business services in providing access to capital for people living in poverty, Noting the support to microcredit in the outcomes of different summit and high-level meetings, including the Twelfth Ministerial Conference of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi on 7 and 8 April 1997,1 the Ninth Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional 1 A/51/912–S/1997/406, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Fifty-second Year, Supplement for July, August and September 1997, document S/1997/406. 99-76933 /...