On 5 June, central bank governors from the Pacific officially endorsed the Nuku’alofa Pledge, an ambitious roadmap to embed innovation, equity, and sustainability into national and regional financial ecosystems.
The Pledge, endorsed during AFI’s Pacific Islands Regional Initiative (PIRI) meeting co-hosted by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, commits central banks to:
- Innovation and Cooperation: Strengthening regional digital infrastructure, embracing new technologies, and promoting shared standards to drive inclusive growth.
- Inclusion for All: Expanding access to safe, affordable financial services—especially for women, youth, rural populations, and people with disabilities—through enabling regulation and digital solutions.
- Climate Resilience: Integrating climate risk into financial supervision and directing finance toward sustainable, locally appropriate climate solutions.
“Financial inclusion is not just a policy objective, but a moral and strategic imperative,” said National Reserve Bank of Tonga Governor, Tatafu Moeaki. “We stand united in our resolve to build a Pacific financial ecosystem that fosters inclusion of the poorer, women and those vulnerable to natural and climate hazards, serves our people, protects our planet, and enables sustainable prosperity.”
“The future of inclusive finance in the Pacific is undeniably digital,” said AFI Board Chair and Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor Ariff, Ali. “As central banks, we are committed to embedding innovation across every layer of our financial systems, from policy and regulation to products and service delivery.”
“The Nuku’alofa Pledge has been developed through close collaboration among PIRI member institutions,” said Dr. Eliki Boletawa, AFI’s Director of Policy Programs and Implementation. “It is a powerful affirmation of our shared Pacific values, our regulatory leadership, and our collective vision for systems that are inclusive, climate-resilient, and economically empowering.”
The Nuku’alofa Pledge is available here.