spring meetings, financial stability, economic sustainability, and climate change are squarely on everyone ’ s agenda. more specifically, in recent years, climate change has shifted from an agenda item to an actionable program of strengthening climate adaptation, resilience, and finance. and yes, we still have some ways to go … in 2023, the imf also reinforced our conviction and commitment to promoting financial stability, with the recommendation to expand cba ’ s legal mandate to incorporate the promotion of financial stability. i am pleased to announce that recently, we have approved the official charters for the financial stability committee and financial stability working group. the establishment of a separate department is in the making, as financial resources are now available. in 2024, we also intend to introduce the esg framework into our operations and governance, thereby also further strengthening our corporate governance, risk management, and compliance in concurrence with international developments. earlier this year, and in line with the “ un ocean decade ”, we adopted the “ ocean ” as our corporate educational theme. since then, we have organized several internal seminars on the “ sustainable ocean economy ”, including a presentation by the aruba conservation foundation on the importance of the ocean and marine conservation. and more recently, the cba supported, together with a coalition of the willing, consisting of both public and private sector institutions, the launch of a national assessment on climate and ocean risks, which is conducted by the stimson center on national security and justice. indeed, financial stability and climate resilience are not merely “ nice to have ” ; they are actually “ must have ”, if we are to truly safeguard our economic security and macroeconomic stability, as well as the health and wealth of our ecology and society. as we look towards, and govern from, the future, we expect to continue our journey in pursuit of our duties and ambitions in 2025, and beyond. in addition, you can expect the introduction of macroprudential policies and instruments, as well as the imf article iv consultation that is scheduled for early 2025. likewise, a financial sector assessment program, the so - called fsap, is planned for late 2026. both the imf art iv mission and the fsap will dedicate attention to climate change, and climate - related financial and economic risks. likewise, you can also expect the publication of our third edition of governing from the future ; it promises to be yet another interesting and thought -

provoking study. and by 2026, the cba will embark on its third strategic plan 2026 – 2030. this will likely be an epic journey, especially considering the many challenges and changes specifically related to our central bank specifically, as well as aruba ’ s national aspirations in terms of : - meeting the un sustainable development goals by 2030 achieving the energy policy objectives for 2030 - 2035 in addition to conserving and protecting 30 percent of our natural and marine habits by 2030 ; the so - called “ 30 by 30 ” initiative. i am confident that the recently submitted draft ordinance on the rights of nature and ocean is leap for our country, being an even more foundational “ climate changer ” for aruba ’ s ecology. ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, yes we may inhabit different professional worlds and domains, each with their own authorities and responsibilities, but we all share the same island and the same future. so, the decisions we make in the coming months – not years – are defining of that future we aspire. going forward, let our collective actions and shared responsibilities govern our path and destiny. masha danki.