inclusion at national , regional and international levels through partnerships and cooperative arrangements with other regulators , as well as with international organizations and private sector leaders . The cooperation model our network has developed is a simple one , based on two key priorities :
• Country-led approaches . Rather than looking for a single set of top-down solutions , AFI members focus on the best ways to support countries in designing and implementing highimpact solutions to meet their unique needs and challenges . This approach has proven to be practical , while also creating ownership and a sense of pride as ever more ambitious targets are set and achieved .
• Peer-to-peer engagement : The value of knowledge and experience is not judged by the size or wealth of any one institution . Our cooperation model creates a community of equals where every member , no matter how large or small , is given the opportunity to share as well as to learn .
By following these two basic principles , AFI has created an international community of peers based on trust and mutual respect , and driven by a common vision of advancing financial inclusion . Inside this open space , partners and stakeholders are able to engage on trending issues , explore innovations and refine policies that support sustainable financial inclusion . The growth of our network is proof that the model is popular , but the more important question to ask is : Does the model actually work ? This can best be answered by looking at how the AFI Maya Declaration has already altered the landscape of financial inclusion . Launched in 2011 , the Maya Declaration quickly evolved from a simple statement of intent to a comprehensive initiative that has inspired regulators across the globe . The Declaration and the financial inclusion commitments it has inspired represent the AFI cooperation model in action . In just over five years , more than 100 regulatory institutions have adopted the Maya Declaration , with 57 national commitments currently underway and 112 financial inclusion targets already achieved . It is an incredible accomplishment , but represents only a glimpse of what could be possible .
Enhancing G20 leadership through AFI cooperation model The successes of the Maya Declaration across emerging and developing countries offers an opportunity to be replicated through the leadership of the G20 . Investing resources in the expansion of a financial inclusion cooperation platform will not only provide an invaluable tool for advancing the SDGs , it will also solidify the G20 ’ s reputation as a global leader . The G20 has a well-deserved reputation for bridging the developing and developed world , and has always been looked to for leadership in raising and promoting issues that cut across traditional dividing lines of North versus South or developed versus developing . At the 2010 G20 Summit in Seoul , the leaders of the G20 recognized financial inclusion as one of the main pillars of global development and endorsed a concrete Financial Inclusion Action Plan in cooperation with like-minded partners , including the Alliance for Financial Inclusion . Since then , every G20 Presidency has moved the Action Plan forward , not only by advocating for financial inclusion in theory , but also by highlighting the specific and measurable impacts being felt in developing and emerging countries through initiatives such as the Maya Declaration . With broad international support behind the SDGs and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda , and a proven cooperation model that is ready to be deployed , the international community has a clear
mandate to expand the reach and impact of financial inclusion . It is also the logical continuation of an issue the G20 has been championing since 2010 .
The journey ahead The SDGs and Addis Ababa Action Agenda have provided us with a longterm roadmap for achieving our common financial inclusion goals . But the most important part of any journey is the first step . There is an African proverb that reads , “ If you want to go fast , go alone . But if you want to go far , go together .” The journey for the world ’ s 2 billion unbanked is far , but full financial inclusion is not out of reach if we travel the road together . ■
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