The World Alliance of International Financial Centers concludes its Annual General Meeting in Germany.

 The World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC) concludes a week of engagements and its Annual General Meeting in Germany.

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, October 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Over 60 members, observers, and guests attended the comprehensive range of engagements surrounding the World Alliance’s Annual General Meeting in Frankfurt between 28 September and 2 October 2025.

World Alliance member Frankfurt Main Finance welcomed member and observer representatives as well as distinguished guests at an evening reception, ahead of participating in SIBOS, SWIFT’s annual conference.

The delegates then convened to discuss key project work, centered around launching a thought-leadership paper on the theme of AI in Finance and progressing further on members’ pledge to promote gender equality in the financial sector. The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, H.E. Hoa Binh Nguyen, addressed World Alliance members and presented the development plans for Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang as new international financial centers.

Key outcomes from the AGM included the approval of the membership of Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC) joining the alliance, taking the total members to 21. The General Meeting also elected two new board members and re-elected several other board members, with Hortense Mudenge, the CEO of the Kigali International Financial Centre, and Pawel Widawski, the President of Future Finance Poland appointed to the board of directors.

During the AGM members agreed to launch a paper to explore the implementation patterns, risks, opportunities, and regulatory evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the financial industry. Bringing together insights from international financial centers worldwide, the initiative will assess AI adoption and the broader opportunities and challenges shaping the sector. This collaborative effort aims to strengthen global understanding of AI’s role in transforming finance and to support the development of effective governance frameworks.

Finally, the delegation attended a special ceremony where the winners of the fourth WAIFC Young Academic Award presented their academic papers. The participants celebrated the 1st place winner, Vivi Yuwei Liao, a PhD candidate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with her paper “Adaptation Finance for Emerging Markets.”

Following a second day at SIBOS, the delegates met with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany to discuss corporate sustainability reporting. Also, in an intensive exchange with the German Central Bank (Bundesbank) on the Digital Euro, the delegates debated the advantages and disadvantages of Central Bank Digital Currencies and Stablecoins.

On October 1, the World Alliance hosted a panel at SIBOS on “Anti-Financial Crime.” Among the speakers were World Alliance board members Dr. Bernice Buttigieg (Finance Malta), Hubertus Väth (Frankfurt Main Finance), and Dr. Pawel Widawski (Future Finance Poland). The panel was moderated by Dr. Jochen Biedermann, Managing Director of the World Alliance.

Regional roundtables allowed the delegation to break out into focused sessions, fostering in-depth discussions tailored to specific geographical priorities. The EU Roundtable of Financial Centers focused on the EU Savings and Investments Union, Open Finance and EU competitiveness. At the same time, the Africa Roundtable hosted a discussion on the development of African financial centres and stimulating growth.

The delegation then traveled to Stuttgart, where they were welcomed by the Ministry of Finance of the German federal state Baden-Württemberg. They participated in further meetings and a roundtable with Stuttgart Financial, which included insights from Boerse Stuttgart Group and LBBW’s International Capital Markets Business.

Commenting on the AGM and surrounding events, Lamia Merzouki, Chair of the WAIFC Board of Directors, stated:

“With a growing and increasingly diverse membership, WAIFC is fostering meaningful dialogue on the issues shaping our industry today, while also empowering the next generation to define its future. From regional roundtables to the Young Academic Award, our collective initiatives reflect both our global reach and our shared commitment to advancing innovation and sustainable growth across financial centers worldwide. I extend my sincere gratitude to our members, partners, and hosts for their continued engagement and support”.

Hubertus Vath, Vice Chair of the WAIFC Board of Directors, added:

“As a founding member since the Alliance’s inception seven years ago, Frankfurt has always been aligned with our core mission. It was timely to revisit that purpose and reaffirm our direction. With the welcome addition of Nairobi as a new member, and the active participation of our existing members and observers, the Alliance continues to foster impactful discourse and advance the development of global financial centres“.

Dr. Jochen Biedermann, Managing Director of WAIFC, added:

“We thank our members and observers for joining us in Germany for a valuable exchange of ideas. A particular thanks goes to Frankfurt Main Finance and Stuttgart Financial for hosting our delegation and preparing a thought-provoking agenda with a range of activities. “ 

Abdul Rahim Osman
WAIFC
osman@waifc.finance
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