Queen Máxima to attend World Economic Forum in Davos

News item | 22-01-2018 | 18:04

In Davos, Queen Máxima will discuss how to improve access to financial services with members of government of various countries, central bank officials, and representatives of Fintech organisations and companies. The Queen will also attend a number of plenary sessions, including ‘Customer Data, Cyber and Innovation in Financial Services’ on Tuesday. On Thursday, she will take part in the financial inclusion breakfast meeting on the theme of ‘Expanding beyond Access’ and in the Financial and Monetary Systems Stewardship Board Meeting.

According to the World Bank Group, good access to financial services like a bank or savings account, loans, insurance or pensions (inclusive finance) contributes to people’s economic development. Worldwide, some two billion people are still unable to use financial services.   

As the UN’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, Queen Máxima has been working since 2009 to improve universal access to financial services, in particular for low-income groups and small businesses (SMEs), with a view to increasing their prospects for economic and social development. She became a member of the stewardship board of the World Economic Forum’s System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Financial and Monetary Systems in 2016 at the invitation of the WEF. In this role she also highlights the importance of inclusive finance. Other experts on the board include government representatives, central bank officials and representatives of private organisations.

The WEF is an international meeting held annually in Davos. It is attended by around two thousand politicians, businesspeople, academics, representatives of international organisations and civil society organisations, and journalists from around the world. The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World’.