Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development 2018 Asia-Pacific PROGRAMME The road to the 8-10 May 2018 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.gfrid2018.org [email protected] | [email protected] In collaboration with Table of contents Table of contents ....................................................................................................................................................... II The GFRID 2018 ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 The Global Forums .................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Global Context .................................................................................................................................................... 3 International Day of Family Remittances – 16 June ............................................................................................. 4 GFRID 2018 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Private Sector Day – 8 May...................................................................................................................................... 6 Technical Workshops and Stakeholder Events – 9 May ..................................................................................11 Public Sector Day – 10 May ..................................................................................................................................14 The RemTECH Awards ...........................................................................................................................................18 The Remittance Marketplace .................................................................................................................................19 List of Speakers........................................................................................................................................................20 List of Participants ...................................................................................................................................................24 The Organizers .........................................................................................................................................................28 The Partners .............................................................................................................................................................29 The GFRID 2018 Since its inception over ten years ago, the Global Forum • identify adapted and scalable models of intervention on Remittances, Investment and Development (GFRID) has and partners to implement future operations, served as a platform to raise awareness, facilitate dialogue particularly in the fields of (i) rural finance and financial and promote collaboration on the contribution of migrant inclusion, and (ii) financing agriculture through remittances to development. By bringing together Member diaspora investment. States, international organizations, private sector and civil society, the Forum allows stakeholders to showcase good Specific objectives practices and build partnerships to leverage the role of The Forum aims to: remittances in countries and communities of origin towards • highlight the contribution of migrant remittances and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). diaspora investment in Asia-Pacific to achieve the The GFRID 2018 Asia-Pacific will build on SDGs and their targets; recommendations made during the GFRID 2017 in New • share good practices to leverage remittances for York, and will highlight the latest findings and linkages development in the Asia-Pacific marketplace, including between remittances and development in Asia-Pacific, through public-private partnerships; particularly in the context of the 2030 Agenda for • identify measures to reduce the cost of remittances, Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the process through innovative business models and the use of towards the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, modern technologies; Orderly and Regular Migration. • assess barriers and other constraints to lower Bank Negara Malaysia will host the GFRID 2018, in remittance costs, promote diaspora investment and collaboration with IFAD and the World Bank Group. facilitate financial inclusion; Organizing partners include: • explore innovative financing solutions to unlock • AFI – Alliance for Financial Inclusion migrant investments; • CGAP Microfinance Gateway • highlight sustainable and innovative business models that expand current remittance markets and create • GSMA Mobile for Development synergies with other financial markets and products; • IAMTN – International Association of Money • promote national development strategies that allow for Transfer Networks scaling up successful business models and strategies • IMTC – International Money Transfer Conferences involving migrant and diaspora contributions; and • MAMSB – Malaysia Association of Money Service • provide concrete, actionable recommendations to Business leverage the potential of diaspora investment and • WSBI – World Savings and Retail Banking Institute migrant remittances towards the adoption of a Global Compact for Migration in 2018. Main objectives The GFRID 2018 intends to: Outcomes • scale-up the debate initiated during the Global The GFRID 2018 Asia-Pacific would prompt the Forum on Remittances, held in Bangkok in 2013, creation of a multi-stakeholder platform on remittances, of exploring the recent developments and discuss investment and development, to build regional the latest challenges, opportunities and concrete ownership, and to provide continuity to the previous innovations from the previous Forums, in light of the achievements, with the ultimate goal of feeding the Global Compact for Migration; dialogue on remittances, investment and development • update the stakeholders on findings and realities from from a regional perspective and upscale the past recent initiatives in the region; successful initiatives. • further engage the public sector and regulators Broadly, the GFRID 2018 Asia-Pacific will have a future in creating an enabling environment to boost the legacy and meaningful follow-up actions culminated development impact of remittances, and bridging the and documented in a list of Forum recommendations private and public sectors as well as the civil society; for ease of reference. The Forum will be replicated in • create a collaborative platform on remittances to other regions, whereby a GFRID with a regional focus provide solutions to existing challenges and share will be organized every two years with the support of a Malaysia’s experiences particularly in terms of regulation local host. and supervision of the remittance industry; and 1 The Global Forums The Global Forums on Remittances, Investment and The GFRID has become, over the last decade, a unique Development (GFRID) are a series of international forums platform in which to discuss global remittance-related aimed at bringing together stakeholders from around the issues and share solutions to maximize the development world involved in the field of remittances, migration and impact of these flows. The last two forums – Milan 2015 development, to stimulate the creation of partnerships and New York 2017 – both saw the participation of over and long-lasting synergies among public and private 400 representatives from the public and private sectors, sectors, and the civil society. and civil society, and contributed to the global discussion on remittances, migration and development by raising Since 2007, the Global Forums have been organized by further interest from different perspectives. the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations and an Bank Negara Malaysia, in collaboration with IFAD and international financing institution (IFI), in collaboration with the World Bank Group, will host the first in a series of key partners, such as the Inter-American Development regional forums aimed at exploring opportunities and Bank, the African Development Bank, the World Bank challenges in Asia-Pacific, in line with global policies and Group, the European Commission and the United Nations priorities. The GFRID Asia-Pacific will take place in Kuala Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA). Lumpur on 8-10 May 2018. 2018 2017 2015 Global Forum on Remittances, Global Forum on Remittances, Global Forum on Remittances Investment and Development | Investment and Development | Global and Development | Europe Asia-Pacific Global coverage focused on the role of Focused on European and global markets, Focused on Asia-Pacific, to be held remittances in achieving the SDGs, and and development impact, organized by in Kuala Lumpur, and organized by opportunities in the global marketplace. Held IFAD, the European Commission and Bank Negara Malaysia, together with in New York and organized together with the the World Bank Group, held in Milan in IFAD and the World Bank Group. World Bank Group and the UN Department of conjunction with the Universal Exposition Economic and Social EXPO Milano 2015. Affairs (UN-DESA). 2013 2009 2007 2005 Global Forum on Global Forum on International Forum on International Forum on Remittances | Asia Remittances