Yesterday the FSB published a final letter from FSB Chair, Randall K. Quarles before his three-year terms ends on December 1, 2021, along with a report on lessons learnt from COVID-19 from a financial stability perspective. The letter discusses the significance of the Rome Summit occurring during global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as structural challenges to the global financial system, which include rapid technological innovations (i.e. crypto-assests), and the impact on climate change on financial stability.

Key lessons from final report on Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic from a financial stability perspective, include:

• “Market and institutional resilience. The functioning of bank capital and liquidity buffers may warrant further attention; the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision will update its overall analysis on the lessons from the pandemic. The March 2020 market turmoil underscored the need to strengthen resilience in the non-bank financial intermediation sector; the FSB is taking forward a comprehensive work programme. Some concerns about possible excessive procyclicality in the financial system remain; standard-setters will take forward work in procyclicality in margining practices and the Basel Committee will further monitor expected credit loss provisioning.
• Operational resilience. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of effective operational risk management being in place before a shock hits. The FSB will develop best practices for the types of information authorities may require related to cyber incidents to promote financial stability. The FSB is also launching further work related to third-party risk management and outsourcing, and will develop expectations for financial authorities’ use in oversight of financial institutions’ reliance on critical service providers.
• Crisis preparedness. The pandemic highlighted the importance of effective cross-border cooperation, coordination and risk-sharing. The FSB will identify a set of good practices and emerging practices of crisis management groups to enhance preparedness for, and facilitate the management and resolution of, a cross-border financial crisis affecting a global systemically important bank (G-SIB).”

More information on the FSB Chair’s letter to the G20 and the final report can be found here.