Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain; Tunis, Tunisia | The General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) held today a Public Lecture on “UN Sustainable Development Goals and the role of Islamic Finance” at University of Ez-Zitouna, in Tunis, Tunisia. This lecture is focused on raising awareness on the role of Islamic Finance in promoting sustainable development and falls into CIBAFI’s 3rd Strategic Objective: Awareness and Information Sharing.

​ The Public Lecture at University of Ez-Zitouna was an opportunity for CIBAFI to engage with academia and young students to discuss the role that Islamic Finance plays in promoting sustainable development. Growing impressively in recent years, Islamic Finance has doubled in size almost every five years and is expected to reach USD 4 trillion by the end of 2020. The growth of Islamic finance has benefited from the increased interest that has been recently shown to ethical and sustainable finances due to their responsible values and their resilience in times of crisis.

Commenting on the Public Lecture, Mr Abdelilah Belatik, Secretary General of CIBAFI said: “Since the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, there has been a greater interest in ethical finance because of its responsible values and its role in promoting social inclusion, sustainable development and the development of social economy and social entrepreneurship. Today, the financial architecture is in a remodeling phase where a growing interest is shown to responsible modes of finance such as Islamic, ethical and sustainable finance.”

This public lecture took a close look at Islamic Finance in today's global economy. The lecture has also highlighted a spotlight on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.

This initiative is part of CIBAFI’s strategic objective of promoting awareness and information sharing. In addition to raising awareness, CIBAFI continues to support the Islamic Financial Services Industry through various activities and initiatives. These include policy and regulatory advocacy work, providing industry stakeholders with a platform to discuss emerging issues, representing the industry at major global financial events, and sharing knowledge through specialized publications.  

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About the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI)

CIBAFI is an international organization established in 2001 and Headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain. CIBAFI is affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).  CIBAFI represents the Islamic financial services industry globally, defending and promoting its role, consolidating co-operation among its members, and with other institutions with similar interests and objectives. With over 120 members from more than 30 jurisdictions, representing market players, international intergovernmental organizations and professional firms, and industry associations.

For more information about CIBAFI, please visit www.CIBAFI.org  

Tel: +973 17357300  Email: media@cibafi.org 

© Press Release 2018