We’re proud to announce that our Founder & CEO, Ambareen Musa, has been selected as a member of ‘The Task Force on Digital Financing’ – A United Nations led global initiative focusing on the role of FinTech in the area of Sustainable Development.

Here’s the official press release:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the launch of a global task force charged with recommending strategies to harness the potential of financial technology to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. The Task Force on Digital Financing consists of leaders from a range of sectors from both developed and developing countries. It is co-chaired by Maria Ramos, Chief Executive Officer of the Absa Group Ltd. (South Africa) and Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.

“We have already seen how technology has helped expand financial inclusion—itself an important goal—by 1.2 billion people in just six years,” said Mr. Guterres. “But we have only just begun to tap the potential of digital finance and investment to meet the broader agenda set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.”

Reflecting its interest in the digitization of finance at the systemic level, the Task Force’s membership includes experts from the investment community, capital markets, government, and civil society, as well as leading banks and innovators in digital payments. Task Force members serve in their personal capacities. A full list of the members as of press time appears below.

“Digitization makes it possible to process financial data much faster, more accurately, and in exponentially greater volumes,” said co-Chair Maria Ramos. “Not just financial institutions, but entire financial systems are being transformed by the digital revolution. We have an historic opportunity to ensure that what emerges are financial systems that put people at the centre.”

Co-chair Achim Steiner pointed to promising examples of fintech-driven solutions that advance sustainability, from channeling personal savings into long-term investment vehicles such as government bonds to using blockchain and tokenization to support renewable energy developments. He observed that to date most such innovations are standalone solutions, adding, “Domestic savings in most countries are still not channeled effectively into the larger-scale financing needed for sustainable development. We need to understand how to harness digitalization to direct the flows of capital to vital work linked to the SDGs, including areas from biodiversity to connecting rural economies with global market opportunities and which, to date, remain largely untouched by the fintech revolution.”

The Task Force on Digital Financing will meet in Davos in January and is expected to present its preliminary report of recommendations to the Secretary-General in September.  It’s work is managed by a Secretariat housed within the United Nation Capital Development Fund.

Members of the Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals:

Co-Chairs

Maria Ramos, Chief Executive Officer, Absa Group Limited
Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme

Members

Maiva Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari, Governor, Central Bank of Samoa
Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer and Director, DBS Group
Natalie Jabangwe, Chief Executive Officer, EcoCash
Xiandong (Eric) Jing, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Ant Financial Services Group
Bradley Katsuyama, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, IEX
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women
Ambareen Musa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Souqulmal
Patrick Njoroge, Governor, Central Bank of Kenya
Richard Samans, Managing Director, World Economic Forum
Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs
Aurelie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Minister of Economy and Communications, Government of Benin

Note that the list will be updated as official confirmations arrive.