From 2 to 4 March, over 320 representatives from AFI member institutions participated in virtual meetings of AFI’s seven Working Groups. The sessions emphasized the need for collaboration among Groups, as they work to produce outputs which contribute to building inclusive and resilient financial systems.

“Increasingly, financial inclusion policy challenges do not sit neatly within one thematic area,” said AFI’s Director of Policy Programs and Implementation, Dr Eliki Boletawa. “Gender inclusion intersects with MSME finance, digital transformation raises consumer protection questions, while climate resilience affects financial health and data integrity. The strength of our network will depend on how effectively we connect these dots.”

During the sessions, the Working Groups reviewed their respective workplans, shared policy updates, discussed high-priority challenges, and heard from invited guest experts.

Each Working Group nominated members to receive AFI Technical Leadership Awards. Each year, these awards recognize individual staff of AFI member institutions who have contributed high-quality technical inputs to working group outputs. Winners will be announced at the upcoming 2026 AFI Global Policy Forum, taking place in Papua New Guinea in September.