FSB publishes targets for enhancing cross-border payments and progress under its Roadmap
13 October 2021
The Financial Stability Board (FSB) today published a progress report on the first year of the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-Border Payments, bringing together in one place the work under the wide-ranging, but interconnected, set of initiatives.
The FSB has also published today, as a key early action under the Roadmap, specific quantitative global targets
for addressing the challenges of cost, speed, transparency and access
faced by cross-border payments. These targets define the ambition of the
work under the Roadmap and create accountability. The targets, which
follow a public consultation launched in May, are small in number,
simple, and focus on improvements in the end-user experience. An
implementation approach for monitoring progress toward the targets will
be developed in 2022.
Other work under the Roadmap in 2020-2021 has primarily focused on
laying the foundational elements for future Roadmap actions, including
stocktakes and analysis of both existing and emerging payments systems
and arrangements. These stocktakes have covered diverse topics such as
existing international standards and guidance, and national and regional
data frameworks; operating hours of and access to payment systems;
common elements of service level agreements/schemes; the use of
payment-versus-payment mechanisms; the interlinking of payment systems;
and CBDC design. This work will provide a strong basis and guide for the
operational improvements to come.
Most of the milestones set by the Roadmap for 2021 have been
successfully completed or are close to finalisation. The breadth of the
work underway and the recognition of the importance of conducting
sufficient external outreach has led some of the timelines to be
extended. But the end-goals of the overall Roadmap remain firmly on
track.
The Roadmap will not be achieved merely on paper through analyses and
recommendations. The next stage of work in 2022 includes the
development of specific proposals for material improvements of
underlying systems and arrangements, as well as the development of new
systems. This practical work involved will require global coordination
and sustained political support. It will also require investment in
systems, processes and technologies.
The report stresses that the success of this work will depend heavily
on the commitment of public authorities and the private sector, working
together. The public and private sector will therefore need to begin
planning and budgeting for the needed enhancements very soon.
Notes to editors
The FSB published the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-border Payments in October 2020. The targets for addressing the four challenges of cross-border payments have benefitted from responses to a public consultation launched in May 2021. A summary of responses to the consultation and changes made in light of this have also been published today.
The FSB coordinates at the international level the work of national
financial authorities and international standard-setting bodies and
develops and promotes the implementation of effective regulatory,
supervisory, and other financial sector policies in the interest of
financial stability. It brings together national authorities responsible
for financial stability in 24 countries and jurisdictions,
international financial institutions, sector-specific international
groupings of regulators and supervisors, and committees of central bank
experts. The FSB also conducts outreach with approximately 70 other
jurisdictions through its six Regional Consultative Groups.
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