The winners of 2019 AFI Awards are here! For the past six years, AFI has recognized the member institutions and individuals who have excelled themselves in the advocacy of financial inclusion with a special evening at the Global Policy Forum (GPF). This year, the 2019 AFI Awards took place in Kigali, Rwanda, and honored those who have spent the past 12 months demonstrating strong leadership, supporting peer learning services and standing up on the national and global stage in support of AFI and its mission.

Under the theme of “unity”, this year’s awards celebrated the cooperation and friendships that have formed through peer learning and exchanges that extend across the network. As one of Rwanda’s pillars for sustainable peace and socioeconomic development, the awards also resonate with our host’s national initiatives to promote unity in the country.

Here are the winners of 2019 AFI Awards:

Young Generation Award

This award is presented to experts under 40 years old who have made a substantial contribution to the AFI working groups and regional initiatives. Young technical staff help to keep our institutions modern, relevant and sustainable over the long term. The winners of this award are:

• Akata Taito, Reserve Bank of Fiji
• German San Lorenzo, Banco Central de la República Argentina
• Carla Fernandes, Banco de Moçambique
• Samuel Weng Yew Lee, Bank Negara Malaysia
• Jahongir Aminjonov, National Bank of Tajikistan
• Marwa Ali Elhosary, Central Bank of Egypt

Technical Leadership Award

The Technical Leadership Award recognizes an individual from a member institution who has provided outstanding technical expertise and leadership in AFI working groups, regional initiatives and at AFI events. Through their vision and contributions, this individual has helped to communicate AFI’s values by participating in the most outreach activities, from speaking at global forums to developing knowledge products to writing blogs and op-eds, to being active on social media.

The winner of this award is:

• Nadezhda Prasolova, Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Advocacy Champion Award – Inclusive Green Finance

As a policy leadership alliance, AFI aims to elevate the voices of its members to set the global financial inclusion agenda and draw attention to the policy implementation challenges that require global support. This award recognizes members who have represented AFI on various global platforms and raised the AFI flag as a global advocate for financial inclusion.

This year, we recognize members who have stood up loud and proud on the global stage for AFI and its latest workstream, Inclusive Green Finance. These members have been the most influential and engaged AFI member institutions by championing Inclusive Green Finance within AFI while also representing AFI’s voice on different platforms, upholding and supporting AFI in the global advocacy for Inclusive Green Finance. The winners of this award are:

• Banco Central del Paraguay
• Bangladesh Bank
• Reserve Bank of Fiji
• Central Bank of Armenia

Special Recognition – AFI Hosts

A special token of appreciation, a medallion, was given to the institutions that have taken on the invaluable task of hosting an AFI event between the 2018 AFI GPF and 2019 AFI GPF.

• Central Bank of the Russian Federation
• Bank Negara Malaysia
• Bank of Tanzania
• Reserve Bank of Fiji
• Bank Al-Maghrib
• Banco Central de Timor-Leste
• Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cote d’Ivoire
• Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
• Central Bank of Egypt
• The Central Bank of the Bahamas
• Bank of Zambia
• Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP del Perú
• Central Bank of Republic of Armenia
• Central Bank of Solomon Islands
• National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
• Banco Central de la República Argentina
• Banco de Portugal

Special Recognition – ECAPI Meeting

AFI recognized the seven member institutions that convened in Belarus in June 2019 for the first formal High-Level Policy Forum of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Policy Initiative (ECAPI).

• National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
• Central Bank of Armenia 
• National Bank of Kazakhstan
• Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia
• Central Bank of the Russian Federation 
• National Bank of Tajikistan
• Central Bank of Uzbekistan

Maya Declaration Award

Launched at the 2011 GPF in Riviera Maya, Mexico, the Maya Declaration represents the world’s first commitment platform for financial inclusion. A public commitment to the Maya Declaration is a way for AFI members to champion financial inclusion and contribute to several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Maya Declaration Award recognizes an AFI member institution that has clearly defined and measurable financial inclusion targets and has demonstrated the most dedication in the network to reporting its targets, timelines and progress on the AFI Data Portal. The winner for this award is:

• Bank of Zambia

Peer Leadership Award

The AFI Peer Leadership Award – the highlight of the evening – recognizes leaders who have propelled peer learning in the network and provided policy guidance through the peer learning process, such as joint learning programs, knowledge exchanges and global and regional initiatives.

The winner for this award is:

• Central Bank of Egypt