The Convention of Independent Financial Advisors (CIFA) is a non-profit Swiss foundation that aims to strengthen the role of independent financial advisors at the international level in order to better defend the interests of investors. Its annual congress – the International CIFA Forum – which attracts delegates from CIFA's 40 partner federations and associations, as well as individual IFAs, bankers, regulators and journalists, has become one of the major international forums for the financial intermediation community. Its eighth edition will be held on 28-30 April 2010 in Madrid (see www.cifango.org). Since 2007, CIFA is the first and still only financial NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It is thus in a position to make recommendations in legislative projects being developed by the ECOSOC. CIFA is also in consultative status with the UNCTAD.