The conference "Stay the Course in Turbulent Times: Old and New Challenges for Central Banks", which was held today, Wednesday February 14 in Split (Croatia), was attended by the governors of the central banks of Croatia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain, as well as senior representatives of the OECD and the IMF.
The conference was focused on addressing critical economic issues and fostering collaboration among central banks in the region. With keynote speeches and panel discussions, the event delved into challenges such as the monetary policy actions to fight against elevated and persistent inflation, the need for effective communication strategies amid complex economic environments, the management of financial risks associated with climate change and the imperative of promoting women’s economic participation and financial inclusion.
Governors and representatives from Mediterranean central banks and financial institutions and research centers shared insights and experiences, emphasizing the importance of central banks’ credibility to preserve the effectiveness of monetary policy, the role of central banks and financial sector regulators to adequately tackle the financial risks stemming from climate change, and the importance of financial inclusion in empowering women economically.
The central bank governors who have taken part in the conference are Pablo Hernández de Cos (Spain), Boris Vujčić (Croatia), Mario Centeno (Portugal), Edward Scicluna (Malta),and Boštjan Vasle (Slovenia), The conference also included a keynote speech by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank, and the participation of Luiz de Mello, Director of Policy Studies of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM); and Senén Florensa, Executive President of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).
The 2024 Conference of Mediterranean Central Banks has been co-organised by the Bank of Spain, the Croatian National Bank, the OECD, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the IEMed.