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Financial inclusion remains a priority issue in Morocco. In 2021, 44% of adults in the country had access to formal financial services, according to the World Bank Global Findex (2021). This represented an increase from 29% in 2017, largely from traditional accounts in financial institutions—mobile money did not exist in Morocco before 2017. Still, 15 million adults in Morocco remain unbanked, notably underserved groups such as the poor, women, smallholder farmers, and micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

UNSGSA Queen Máxima Presents New Annual Report to Secretary-General, Champions Financial Inclusion at UNGA

The Special Advocate presented her new Annual Report to Secretary-General António Guterres during the 77th UN General Assembly in New York. Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Attend 77th UN General Assembly to Promote Financial Inclusion

The Special Advocate is scheduled to meet with representatives from various countries, along with other leaders from the UN and the private sector, to help advance and support their financial inclusion priorities. Read more

UNSGSA to Meet with India Leadership about Importance of Financial Inclusion and Digital Public Infrastructure to 2023 G20 Presidency

H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), will meet with leaders of the 2023 India G20 Presidency in New Delhi on 29 August 2022. The Special Advocate is Honorary Patron of the G20… Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima Wraps up West Africa Trip in Senegal with Fintech, Financial Health and SMEs at Top of the Agenda

While in Senegal, the UNSGSA met with high-level officials, international development partners, and private sector leaders to discuss how to best support efforts in the country to boost digital and financial inclusion. Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima Concludes Visit to Côte d'Ivoire to Support Digital and Financial Inclusion

UNSGSA Queen Máxima had the opportunity to meet with several members of a Village Savings and Loan Association, a group of 25 women living in Abobo, a suburb of Abidjan, while on a field visit on 13 June 2022. Photo credit Patrick Van KatwijkH.M. Queen Máxima of… Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Visit Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal to Advance Financial and Digital Inclusion

UNSGSA Queen Máxima will visit Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal on 13-16 June to support efforts to boost digital and financial inclusion, along with financial health. The trip is the first in-person “country visit” she will take in her capacity as the UNSGSA since prior to the pandemic. Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Attend World Economic Forum’s Davos 2022 Meetings

The UNSGSA’s activities will be centered around several key priority areas, including the pivotal role of digital and financial inclusion—especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—in contributing to good financial health, resilience and increased economic opportunities. Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Visit Gates Foundation in Seattle

Her Majesty Queen Máxima will visit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in her role as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA) in Seattle on 6 May 2022. The UNSGSA will meet with senior representatives at the Gates… Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Provide Virtual Keynote for Sustainable Banking and Finance Network Global Meeting

Policies that support underserved segments in the face of climate challenges within sustainable finance frameworks are critical. Read more

Opinion: Central Bank Digital Currencies for the People

With the rapid adoption of digital payment technologies, central banks have an opportunity to explore reforms and new tools, including by issuing their own digital currencies. Provided that policymakers get the design right, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could go a long way toward… Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima Concludes U.S. Visit to Promote Financial Inclusion, Financial Health Priorities

The final day of the trip was headlined by a bilateral meeting between UNSGSA Queen Máxima and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, where the pair discussed their ongoing collaboration to help advance UN priorities and generate positive development outcomes—notably in the face of ongoing impacts… Read more

UNSGSA Queen Máxima Meets with Secretary Yellen, Other Key Officials and Development Partners in Washington D.C.

Day one of the trip took place on Wednesday in Washington D.C., where UNSGSA Queen Máxima reinforced to key decisionmakers the importance of inclusive finance, particularly during COVID-19 recovery efforts, as well as in building resilience to future shocks from economic and climate events. The Read more