The African Institute of Remittances develops the capacity of Member States of the African Union, remittance senders and recipients and other stakeholders to implement concrete strategies and operational instruments to use remittances as development tools for poverty reduction. It has been a key implementer of remittance service initiatives on the continent for the past decade, contributing to both reducing remittance transfer costs and financial inclusion. AIR became fully operational in 2015 and its initial partners included the African Union Commission, the European Commission, the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration, Africa Development Bank.