On 3 July 2021, the SCO Secretariat attended the online panel session of the Astana Finance Days 2021 conference titled Digitalisation as a New Trend of the Global Mobility in Post-Pandemic Period.
The conference organised by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) was attended by representatives of local and foreign government agencies, international organisations, business and academic communities, plus media outlets.
Experts discussed the current digital economy and its future impact on investment as a global trend of economic and social development, which is promoting economic growth and improvements in the quality of people's life. The participants were offered a review of various innovative products and services, which can help the national markets deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Representatives of the SCO Secretariat pointed out the special role that digitalisation in economic revival is playing, in particular, during the post-pandemic period, as well as the importance of strengthening cooperation between SCO countries in the sphere of innovations and the digital economy. When speaking about the implementation of the Statement by the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States on Cooperation in the Digital Economy, the importance of improving digital development strategies in e-commerce, transport and transport infrastructure, agriculture and ICT was noted.
The agenda of the Astana Finance Days 2021 conference also included a number of subforums and seminars on other important topics, such as green growth, women's economic empowerment, education technologies, legislation, and the Islamic capital market.
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) was established in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2015 as a leading international centre of financial services. Astana Finance Days (AFD) is one of the largest financial conferences in the region annually hosted by the AIFC. Between 2018 and 2020, the conference was attended by over 13,000 participants from 100 countries.
The implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the SCO Secretariat and the AIFC in June 2019 is aimed at using the AIFC's unique innovative potential for promoting the financial system of the SCO countries.