Leading representatives from the AFI network including National Bank of Ethiopia, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Tanzania, Reserve Bank of Malawi and Reserve Bank of Fiji, along with AFI’s Executive Director and Director of Strategy and Network, are travelling to Los Cabos, Mexico this week to take part in the 2012 G20 Leader’s Summit. G20 leaders are due to meet on 18-19 June, however specialized sessions focused on financial inclusion are also planned beginning on the 15th.

As part of the G20’s focus on financial inclusion, two key side sessions are planned; ‘Rethinking G20: Designing the Future’, due to be held on 15-16 June, and, the ‘G20 Financial Inclusion Event’ on 17 June, which will be co-chaired by the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, and HRH Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, the UNSG’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. The latter session is expected to include an announcement of the G20’s support for a Financial Inclusion Peer Learning Program. Following the President’s presentation, the gathered participants will formally declare their support for the peer learning platform.

In the ‘Designing the Future’ sessions, leaders from various disciplines will reflect on social, economic, political, environmental, scientific and world financial issues. Financial inclusion’s central role in growth and development efforts will be a featured part of these discussions.

The G20 Financial Inclusion Event will see AFI members playing a leading role in discussions ranging from national strategies to knowledge sharing and lessons learned. The well-established peer-to-peer platform developed and coordinated by AFI since 2008 is anticipated to form the foundation for the G20’s official announcement of peer learning support, and the assembled participants will hear directly from members of the AFI network about the value of the AFI model and the benefits which it has already brought to national financial inclusion policy development across the globe.

AFI’s Steering Committee will also hold its next meeting in Los Cabos ahead of the G20 Summit. 

Follow AFI participation in the G20 Summit on Twitter.