At the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., G20 Finance Ministers endorsed the G20 Mexican Presidency’s proposed focus on financial inclusion. In particular, the Mexican Presidency suggested the launch of a G20 Financial Inclusion Peer Learning Program. 

AFI has played a prominent role in supporting this focus on financial inclusion, serving as an implementing  partner for the G20’s efforts through the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). AFI has now also been invited to serve as an Implementing Partner for the Financial Inclusion Peer Learning Program by the Mexican Presidency and, to this end, has been asked to leverage the network’s existing expertise in knowledge exchange and peer learning services. In collaboration, the World Bank will provide guidance on technical issues as well as in-country support.

The peer learning program is envisaged by Mexico as a process for countries to share their experience of establishing national coordination mechanisms (such as councils or taskforces) and financial inclusion strategies. In support of this effort, the Mexican presidency has invited specific commitments from countries, to establish such national coordination mechanisms, and is engaging with a broader target audience going beyond primary regulators to include political actors (president’s offices, social policy ministries, etc.).

Alongside the Spring Meetings, the 4th Annual G24/AFI Policymakers’ Roundtable took place, serving to showcase the Maya Declaration and specific country commitments of Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Serving as a complementary initiative to the Peer Learning Program, the Maya Declaration is a broad strategic framework covering four key priority areas, under which countries make commitments and set targets according to their priorities, to be monitored by the peer network.

The series of meetings produced several other notable results. G20 Finance Ministers endorsed the Basic Set Indicators, which were developed directly from the Financial Inclusion Data Working Group’s Core Set. Additionally, the Mexican G20 Presidency invited AFI member participation in a financial inclusion side event to be held at the G20 Leaders Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico in June.