From 9 to 11 June, members of AFI’s Financial Inclusion Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC) met in Paramaribo, Suriname. The meeting, co-hosted with the Central Bank of Suriname (CBVS), sought to advance progress on practical financial inclusion policies and initiatives, as well as to improve regional collaboration. 

FILAC members discussed multiple pressing issues, including women’s financial inclusion, migrants’ financial inclusion and economic participation, Inclusive Green Finance in the LAC region, and consumer protection for digital financial services. The group also heard lessons from a pilot project in Mexico which integrates behavioral insight into financial inclusion interventions. 

“Financial inclusion means ensuring affordable, secure financial systems for all,” said Maurice Roemer, Governor of the Central Bank of Suriname. “This week’s meeting will allow us to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and create actionable solutions to deepen financial inclusion.” 

“We know that financial inclusion is not just a technical objective, but a social commitment that requires the coordinated effort of all the countries present here,” said Guadalupe Escobar, Central Bank of El Salvador, Chair of FILAC’s Expert Group on Financial Inclusion Policy.

You can learn more FILAC’s members, activities and impact on its website.