On June 17, 2021, Ignazio Visco, the Governor of the Bank of Italy gave a keynote address to the 2021 IIF G20 Conference- The G20 Agenda Under the Italian Presidency. In his address, Mr. Visco covered topics regarding COVID-19 and the global economy, financial regulation, and financial inclusion and international digital cooperation.

Visco highlighted that the concerns that existed before the pandemic are more pronounced today, such as the increased use of digitalization. He noted that in coordination with major international organizations, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors updated their Action Plan to continue to continue the effectiveness of economic policy responses and conceded the“…need to closely monitor the increasingly divergent recovery paths – which may well entail an asynchronous unwinding of monetary and fiscal support measures – and take international policy spillovers into account.”

The Governor also emphasized the need to address vulnerabilities in the non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI) sector, especially in the areas of Money Market Funds. Visco also discussed financial regulation concerns surrounding mitigation of climate-related financial risks. “The G20 Finance Track aims to encourage a better alignment of both public and private financial commitments with the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement.”

Most notably, Visco addressed how digitalization has a direct impact on financial inclusion. He warned that while digitalization may build access, it could also “lead to new forms of exclusion” including indebtedness. “The outcome will depend, crucially, on the development and accessibility of digital infrastructures, the degree of financial and digital literacy, and the adequacy of governance, especially in the fields of regulation and supervision.” Some of the solutions Visco prescribed include: fostering more innovative regulatory and supervisory approaches; development of cross-border payments to make them cheaper, faster, more transparent and inclusive; and coordination with the Financial Stability Boards’ recommendations to address challenges related to global stablecoins for regulation, supervision, and payment-system oversight.

Governor Ignazio Visco’s full speech is available here.