Participation at the AFI GPF has become part of the standard dialogue among leaders of regulatory institutions and is often harnessed to help resolve problems for the unbanked.
[5][6] In his opening remarks, the governor of co-host Central Bank of Kenya, Prof. Njuguna Ndung'u, summarized the goal of the AFI GPF when he stated, "we will, over the next ten days, share experiences on smart financial inclusion policies that have worked elsewhere.
"[7] Highlighting the significance of the gathering, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. called the forum a “momentous occasion as policymakers, regulators, strategic partners and other stakeholders from all over the developing world have come together with the shared goal of building an inclusive financial system”.
[10] In his keynote address, President of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the participants to "make this forum a bridge between our national, regional and global efforts.
We are looking forward to hearing your experiences from Asia, Africa and Latin America so we can be inspired by your ideas and make our own financial system stronger, more inclusive and innovative".
Seventeen participating members also made more specific national commitments toward financial inclusion progress under the basic principles of the Maya Declaration.
[15] The institutions making commitments represented a diverse range of large populations, such as Mexico and Peru, to smaller nations, such as Fiji and Solomon Islands.
[16] Over 300 participants from 80 financial regulatory institutions took part in 2011 AFI GPF, along with representatives from the World Bank, the United Nations, the Gates Foundation and other international organizations.
It is a key task, since, by opening the doors of credit, savings and insurance to more persons, we are giving more certainty to the present and we are broadening their capacity to build a better future.
"[17] At the same ceremony, the United Nations Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, said that she was inspired to see that AFI GPF participants were at the forefront of innovations in policy, regulation and supervision, and now had an opportunity to lead developed country banking sectors in this field.
The annual AFI GPF was held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 26–28 September 2012, under the theme of “Making Financial Inclusion Real”.
Among the outcomes was the AFI members agreeing to the Sasana Accord[28] that strengthened the effectiveness of their Maya Declaration commitments through the adoption of systematic assessments that ensure quantifiable and measurable targets for financial inclusion.
A new focus on engagement with non-regulatory organizations was evident during this AFI GPF, most notably through the network's peer learning approach with the global standard setting bodies (SSBs), and with the introduction of a dialog platform with the private sector.
Over 450 senior financial inclusion policymakers and regulators, along with leaders from international organizations and the private sector converged in Maputo, Mozambique, from 1–4 September for the 7th annual AFI GPF.
The 2017 AFI GPF was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, marking the first time that the flagship event convened in the Arab region.