Astana Int’l Forum attracts 5 country leaders, UN S-G, D-G of WTO and the IMF head

ASTANA: The flagship event of the AIF followed after the Astana Finance Days conference was attended by Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanovi?, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kazakh president Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, as well as executives of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Leadership focused on emerging global challenges in the face of climate change, international security, and sustainability issues, says a Press release.
Within the framework of the line of events, the Green Investment Principles (GIP) Regional office in Central Asia and Pakistan chaired by Yaseen Anwar held a panel discussion on the ESG reporting showcasing the experience on climate risks management of State bank of Pakistan as a part of the GIP initiative.
Ravi Abeywardana, Technical Director of the International Standards Board for Sustainable Development (ISSB) under the IFRS Foundation, disclosed that as early as this month – by June 27 – ISSB will approve the IFRS General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information Standard and the Climate-related Disclosures Standard. Despite their voluntary status, the implementation of these standards in national jurisdictions in the medium term, according to the participants in the discussion, is a matter of time.
Yaseen Anwar, Chairman of the Regional Chapter of GIP in Central Asia, said: “As a former Governor of the Central Bank of Pakistan directly involved in establishing sustainable banking in Pakistan, I can attest to the importance of the financial regulators in encouraging the flow of capital towards sustainable investments by enforcing standardized ESG reporting requirements to enable meaningful comparisons and risk assessment across organisations, while intensifying their focus on climate-related systemic risks and providing necessary guidance and practical tools for the regulated community”.