The Maya Declaration

The Maya Declaration

Maya Declaration

The Maya Declaration is a global initiative for responsible and sustainable financial inclusion that aims to reduce poverty and ensure financial stability for the benefit of all. It is a statement of common principles regarding the development of financial inclusion policy.

Launched at the 2011 Global Policy Forum (GPF) in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the Maya Declaration represents AFI’s core values and the first global and measurable set of commitments by developing and emerging country governments towards advancing the financial inclusion agenda. A public commitment to the Maya Declaration is a means of championing financial inclusion and contributing to a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goal 1 (no poverty), goal 5 (gender equality), goal 8 (decent work and economic growth) and goal 13 (climate action).

As of  September 2024,  AFI member institutions from 78 countries have collectively made 1340 Maya Declaration targets, committed towards achieving their nation’s financial inclusion agenda. AFI member institutions regularly share progress updates on the AFI Data Portal (ADP).

AFI is committed to supporting its members in fully achieving their commitments to contributing towards more inclusive development and poverty alleviation.

LATIN AMERICA
& THE CARRIBEAN

229

Maya Declaration targets made

57% completed

16 quantifiable targets

PACIFIC
ISLANDS

59

Maya Declaration targets made

53% completed

16 quantifiable targets

ASIA

228

Maya Declaration targets made

50% completed

48 quantifiable targets

EASTERN EUROPE
& CENTRAL ASIA

83

Maya Declaration targets made

38% completed

32 quantifiable targets

SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICA

479

Maya Declaration targets made

45% completed

66 quantifiable targets

ARAB REGION

246

Maya Declaration targets made

54% completed

36 quantifiable targets

1,340

targets made

49%

targets completed

190

commitments
made

LATIN AMERICA
& THE CARRIBEAN

229

Maya Declaration targets made

57% completed

16 quantifiable targets

PACIFIC
ISLANDS

59

Maya Declaration targets made

53% completed

16 quantifiable targets

ASIA

228

Maya Declaration targets made

50% completed

48 quantifiable targets

EASTERN EUROPE
& CENTRAL ASIA

83

Maya Declaration targets made

38% completed

32 quantifiable targets

SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICA

479

Maya Declaration targets made

45% completed

66 quantifiable targets

ARAB REGION

246

Maya Declaration targets made

54% completed

36 quantifiable targets

Smart goals, smart policies

The Maya Declaration lay the groundwork for AFI members to develop and adopt accords that outline specific goals that target different aspects of financial inclusion.

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Sasana Accord: Evidence-based financial inclusion

Outlines concrete commitments to financial inclusion policymaking and strategies that will see evidence- and data-based results, and contribute to accelerated progress and the measurement of impact.

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Maputo Accord: Small and medium enterprise (SME) financing

Supports access to finance for SMEs to promote sustainable inclusive development and spur innovation. The Maputo Accord followed on from Turkey’s G20 Presidency, which made support for SMEs a key theme.

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Denarau Action Plan: Gender and women’s financial inclusion

Focuses on gender and women’s financial inclusion, identifying measures that AFI members can take to increase the number of women with access to quality and affordable financial services globally to close the financial inclusion gender gap.

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Sharm El Sheikh Accord: Financial inclusion, climate change and green finance

Recognizes the dual threats of financial exclusion and climate change as key barriers to financial stability by reaffirming that financial inclusion policies should help achieve positive outcomes for climate change, green finance and sustainable development.

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Sochi Accord: Financial Technology (FinTech) for Financial Inclusion

Commits members to developing regulatory or policy interventions that balance innovation in technology-based financial services with oversight.

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Kigali Statement: Accelerating Financial Inclusion for Disadvantaged Groups

Renews members’ commitments to network accords and the Maya Declaration, and agrees on specific actions to accelerate financial inclusion for disadvantaged groups and leave no one behind.

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Statement on Post-COVID-19 Recovery

Aims to enhance the network’s commitment on restoring the momentum for achieving financial inclusion goals bearing in mind the need to be vigilant to mitigate risks that may jeopardize the network's goals.

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Manila Manifesto

The Manila Manifesto sets out the AFI network’s commitment to coordinate, collaborate, and engage with global standard-setting bodies.

2020:

Statement on Post-COVID-19 Recovery adopted at the 5th Annual General Meeting, held virtually.

2019:

Kigali Statement adopted at 2019 AFI Global Policy Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

2018:

Upgraded AFI Data Portal is launched with added functionalities and features.

2017:

Sharm El Sheikh Climate Change Accord endorsed at the 2017 Global Policy Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

2016:

AFI Online Data Portal (ADP) to replace the Online Progress Dashboard. Launch of Denarau Action Plan at the 2016 Global Policy Forum in Nadi, Fiji.

2015:

Maputo Accord launched at the 2015 Global Policy Form in Maputo, Mozambique.

2014:

Launch of the Online Progress Dashboard

2013:

Sasana Accord launched at the 2013 Global Policy Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2012:

At the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, G20 Leaders recognize the role of the Maya Declaration in the implementation of concrete and innovative financial inclusion initiatives.

2011:

Maya Declaration launched at the 2011 AFI Global Policy Forum in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

AFI Data Portal (ADP)

The ADP is a unique integrated global database of financial inclusion policies, regulations and outcomes built by policymakers for policymakers and the public.

Launched in 2016, the ADP is the central hub for AFI network members to report and track their financial inclusion achievements. As such, the ADP is not only a valuable way to showcase national achievements in financial inclusion, but also an effective and efficient tool for benchmarking and analyzing progress on policy implementation.

Click here to explore the AFI Data Portal and the Maya Declaration Commitments around the network.

Download ADP Factsheet Data Portal

Recipients of the Maya Declaration Award

One of the highlights of the annual AFI awards is the presentation of the Maya Declaration Award, which recognizes member institutions that have reported significant progress on the AFI Data Portal - the main global database of financial inclusion policies, regulations and national targets for addressing financial inclusion challenges. Below is a list of previous winners:

The Text of the Maya Declaration

We, the Members of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, a network of central banks, supervisors, and other financial regulatory authorities, met in Riviera Maya, Mexico, from 28 to 30 September 2011, on the occasion of the Third AFI Global Policy Forum.

Recognize the critical importance of financial inclusion to empowering and transforming the lives of all our people, especially the poor, its role in improving national and global financial stability and integrity and its essential contribution to strong and inclusive growth in developing and emerging market countries;

Reaffirm the value of peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and learning among financial regulators and policymakers for the design and implementation of innovative financial inclusion policy solutions relevant to the developing world;

Recall our efforts over the last two years to strengthen and expand the AFI network and to identify and explore high-priority areas for financial inclusion policy in the developing world through AFI’s working groups; Commit as a network of developing and emerging market financial regulators and policymakers to:

a. Putting in place a financial inclusion policy that creates an enabling environment for cost-effective access to financial services that makes full use of appropriate innovative technology and substantially lowers the unit cost of financial services;
b. Implementing a sound and proportional regulatory framework that achieves the complementary goals of financial inclusion, financial stability, and financial integrity;
c. Recognizing consumer protection and empowerment as key pillars of financial inclusion efforts to ensure that all people are included in their country’s financial sector;
d. Making evidence-based financial inclusion policy a priority by collecting and analyzing comprehensive data, tracking the changing profile of financial inclusion, and producing comparable indicators in the network;
e. Supporting access to finance for small and medium enterprises in acknowledgment of their shared objective with financial inclusion in promoting sustainable and inclusive development and spurring innovation.

We remain dedicated to making financial inclusion a reality through concerted domestic and global actions and actively sharing our knowledge and experience through the AFI network. We commit to delivering concrete financial inclusion outcomes for the developing world to provide sustainable, relevant, cost-effective, and meaningful financial services for the world’s financially unserved populations.

© Alliance for Financial Inclusion 2009-2024