accountability and transparency enhances its potential as a stable form of financial intermediation. there is also a growing recognition that the inherent tenets of islamic finance are aligned with the sustainable dimensions of ethical finance and responsible financing. as the new financial landscape emerges, it has also been accompanied by the development of ancilliary support services that include legal, accounting, taxation and shariah advisory. in addition, there is the development of islamic indices, information repositories and consultancy services. in the areas of human capital development there is a proliferation of programmes and certifications that focus on islamic finance. malaysia is committed in this pursuit and has put in place a comprehensive talent infrastructure in islamic finance with the aim of meeting the increased demand for practitioners by the global islamic finance industry. dedicated institutions of learning such as the international centre for education in islamic finance ( inceif ) and the islamic banking and finance institute ( ibfim ) have been established to focus on education in islamic finance. increased international connectivity and islamic finance despite the continued strains experienced in the economy and the international financial system, it is important to recognise the fundamental long - term global transformation that is taking place. in this recent decade, the concurrent rise of the emerging economies is resulting in a fundamental realignment in the global landscape. this transformation is characterised by the shifting balance of global economic strength to the emerging economies, with its significant implications on the global economic and financial flows. the international financial landscape will also be inevitably transformed with the distribution of financial centres becoming more dispersed. increasingly, new centres of financial activities will likely to emerge. in addition, financial system inter - linkages – particularly among the emerging economies – will deepen, supported by the increased global trade and investment that is already taking place. with considerable capacity to meet large investment requirements, opportunities therein lie in the more effective and efficient channelling of the bis central bankers ’ speeches sizeable surplus funds towards the vast productive investment opportunities within and across the emerging economies. these trends are being reinforced by the rapid expansion of financial institutions in emerging economies that have ventured beyond national borders. financial institutions from the emerging economies have grown significantly in size and strength in this recent decade to now account for almost half of worldwide financial industry market value. eight out of the twenty largest global banks, including the top two, are emerging market financial institutions. as the emerging market financial institutions continue to regionalise and internationalise, their role and importance can be expected to further expand. another key development is the

are able to and work towards a sustainable future. planting trees may seem like a small gesture, but in the long run, we believe, it has a significant impact. each tree we plant today is an investment in the wellbeing of our community and generations to come. the benefits of our efforts today will contribute to cleaner air, improved biodiversity, and a more resilient ecosystem. distinguished guests, allow me to reflect a little further on the importance of planting trees. trees are the lungs of our planet which provide us with oxygen. as antonio guterres, the united nations secretary general, once said " forests are lungs of our planet which draw in carbon dioxide and breathes out oxygen. " trees play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance. we need to cultivate a culture of planting trees to mitigate the effects of climate change. consequences of deforestation are many and dire. these include soil degradation, water conservation and ozone layer depletion, an increase in the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide and extinction of plant species, among others. distinguished guests, since trees play an important role in human life, they must be preserved at all times. failure to do that will result in climate change continuing to impact negatively on human survival. it has been observed that cutting down of trees is not only rampant here in mumbwa, but in many other parts of the country as well. good corporate citizenship calls for a conscious alignment of business operations with social, environmental and economic responsibilities to the benefit of both society and the business. i would like to urge everyone, individually and collectively, to develop a culture of planting trees. this is an important way we can contribute to the health of our planet. for us as an institution, the concept of csr requires us to raise our social consciousness in the communities we operate in. through this awareness, underpinned by our values, we hold ourselves accountable for the impact our operations have on the environment, seek ways to uplift our society and promote sustainable development. distinguished guests, i am happy to inform you that the bank deliberately chose to partner with the national heritage conservation commission ( nhcc ) knowing that the saplings we are planting today will be nurtured - taken care of and provided with an environment to grow into mighty trees that will stand for years to come. 2 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches distinguished guests, you may also wish to note that the bank was presented with a number of sites to be considered for support. the