2025 Annual General Meeting

• Confirmation of Members of the FinCoNet Governing Council
• Approval of two reports by FinCoNet addressing key issues for financial market conduct supervisors:    
  • Fair treatment of customers in debt collection activities
  • Implementation of the G20/OECD High-Level Principles on Financial Consumer Protection, with a focus on the cross-cutting theme of Sustainable Finance
• International Seminar on the theme of Strengthening Financial Consumer Protection and Supervision in an Increasingly Digitalised World

On 26-27 November 2025, FinCoNet (the International Financial Consumer Protection Organisation) held its 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), hosted by the Central Bank of Ireland.

More than 80 representatives from nearly 50 financial market conduct supervisors from around the world, as well as international organisations, participated in the AGM in-person or virtually. The AGM was held back-to-back with an International Seminar on Strengthening Financial Consumer Protection and Supervision in an Increasingly Digitalised World on 28 November 2025 co-organised by FinCoNet and the Central Bank of Ireland.

In his welcome address to attendees, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf at the Central Bank of Ireland said:

“In an increasingly fragmented world, institutional credibility and multilateralism is more important than ever.  This is one of the reasons why we were particularly pleased to host this year’s FinCoNet AGM.  We are keen to reiterate our support and commitment to the organisation having been a founding member.  FinCoNet’s aim of promoting strong and effective consumer protection is as critical today as it was when the organisation was first established.”

The AGM was chaired by the Chair of FinCoNet, Ms. Juliana Sandri, Head of the Department of Conduct Supervision at the Banco Central do Brasil, who was elected as Chair in 2023. In her opening address to attendees to open the AGM, Ms. Sandri said:

“I am delighted to welcome Members, Associates, Observers and guests to the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dublin, Ireland, kindly hosted by the Central Bank of Ireland.  This year’s AGM had a record number of over 80 attendees, who together drive effective market conduct supervision globally through better interaction, sharing and collaboration among supervisory authorities. At the end of my second full year serving as Chair, I am happy to have witnessed our collaborative efforts to advance market conduct discussions all over the world. I look forward to continuing to strengthen market conduct supervision and promote peer exchanges in the years ahead.”

At the 2025 AGM, FinCoNet Members shared experiences and advanced work on issues of high importance to financial market conduct supervisors worldwide. During a stimulating roundtable discussion, FinCoNet Members exchanged views about the challenges they currently face and the solutions they are developing. Notably, FinCoNet Members shared experiences from their jurisdictions relating to the increase in digitalisation, developments regarding the use of oversight tools and supervisory approaches relating to credit.

FinCoNet also announced the appointment of the following Members to the Governing Council:  Her Excellency Fatma Al-Jabri, Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, Ms. Magda Bianco, Banca d’Italia, Mr. Frank Kajungu, National Bank of Rwanda, Mr. Jutaro Kaneko, Financial Services Agency of Japan, Ms. Cristina Menédez de Luarca, Banco de España, Mr. Ricardo Oliviera Sousa, Banco de Portugal and Ms. Juliana Mozachi Sandri, Central Bank of Brazil. 

FinCoNet Members approved two reports at the AGM addressing current issues and challenges for market conduct supervisors globally. The first report, prepared by Standing Committee 2 is titled: Fair treatment of customers in debt collection activities. The second report, prepared by Standing Committee 6, is a briefing note for Members titled: Implementation of the G20/OECD High-Level Principles on Financial Consumer Protection, with a focus on the cross-cutting theme of Sustainable Finance. A public summary of the Members-only report will be published on the FinCoNet website.

The AGM also featured an interactive workshop featuring an Industry Dialogue session on buy now pay later, which gave FinCoNet Members the opportunity to hear from and share their perspective with industry participants from the sector, including representatives of individual firms and industry associations. This included sharing information, highlighting key trends, and exploring emerging supervisory and regulatory approaches globally.

FinCoNet also welcomed at the AGM seven new Members and Associate Members who joined FinCoNet during 2025: the Banking Agency of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBA), the Central Bank of Uruguay, the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Central Bank of Lesotho, the National Bank of Georgia, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Central Bank of Kosovo.¹   

¹ This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/1999 and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

The AGM was followed by an International Seminar on Strengthening Financial Consumer Protection and Supervision in an Increasingly Digitalised World on 28 November 2025.

The Seminar brought together FinCoNet Members, guests and other external stakeholders to hear from experts in the field and join an engaging discussion on financial consumer vulnerability in the digital age as well as the role of conduct supervisors in public engagement and financial education efforts.

Welcome remarks were delivered by Ms. Juliana Sandri, Chair of FinCoNet, and Mr. Colm Kincaid, Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Ireland delivered a keynote address.

The Seminar featured presentations from speakers representing the OECD, the Financial Markets Authority, New Zealand, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, South Africa, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and Banco de Portugal.

Closing remarks were delivered by Mr. Wesley Murphy of the Central Bank of Ireland and Mr. Frank Lofranco, Vice-Chair of FinCoNet.

The FinCoNet AGM 2026 will be held in December 2026 and hosted by the Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) Indonesia, followed by an international seminar.

/ENDS

1. FinCoNet was formally established in 2013 as a new international organisation of financial consumer protection supervisory authorities. The goal of FinCoNet is to promote sound market conduct and enhance financial consumer protection through efficient and effective financial market conduct supervision, with a focus on banking and credit.
2. Members of FinCoNet are public entities that have a financial market conduct and financial consumer protection supervision mandate.
3. The OECD acts as the Secretariat of FinCoNet providing administrative, logistical and technical support.
4. For more information about the work of FinCoNet or becoming a Member, please visit www.finconet.org for more information or contact the Secretariat [katerina.kodlova@oecd.org].