is exposed, leading some central banks to consider the option of issuing a digital currency, and therefore reduce the costs related to conventional banknotes ’ production and use, and minimize the insecurity risks involved. among the other fields concerned is financial supervision. this area is now gradually expanding as new actors and financial products have emerged, which can certainly affect monetary policy transmission. ladies and gentlemen, the digital transformation we are facing today is primarily driven by operators and private companies that continue to invest heavily in this area and seize the opportunities and the potential it offers. considering the important economic, financial and social implications of such a revolution, public authorities are compelled to set an adequate legal framework and provide an environment conducive to technological innovations and fintech development. one of the priorities defined in this regard is to invest in education and human resources ’ training, while taking account of the changes occurring in the job markets due to technological innovations. the challenge is huge, considering the now strong need for a digital skilled labor. many countries, more particularly emerging and developing ones, are now faced with the additional issue, besides having to meet their needs, of dealing with the " brain drain " phenomenon, which seems to record an upsurge in recent years. against this backdrop, strengthening regional and international cooperation, with a view to pooling efforts and exchanging experiences, will essentially avoid worsening the digital divide between these countries and advanced ones. that being said, the actual benefit of those policies and the efforts required depends on the responsiveness of the population, the economic and financial operators as well as of the politicians, to the adoption of digital technologies. after all, it is an issue of a real change of culture. it is true that during last years, initiatives have increased, reflecting a raising awareness about the challenges posed by this revolution. several countries have developed cross - cutting or sectoral strategies to promote the development of digital technologies and their use. by way of illustration, i will first give the example of my country which has set up a digital development strategy, and created an agency dedicated to this area. another example is the european commission which has established, last may, a panel of highly qualified experts to study the impact of digital technology on the job market. similarly, g20 countries agreed in 2017 to elaborate a roadmap for digitalization named “ policies for a digital future ”. finally, the united nations launched, last november, a task force charged with recommending strategies to harness financial technologies in support of

and redesign our processes, but also to play a role in the development and support of our ecosystem, through a participatory approach. ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, i would say that we may have taken some time to grasp the scale of the digital revolution, but the numerous initiatives and interactions, such as this meeting, leave us with the hope that the backlog will be quickly cleared and that this revolution will effectively contribute to sustainable and inclusive development in our countries. in this respect, we are pleased to note the willingness of international organizations, including the imf, main interlocutor of central banks, to upgrade their means and human resources with a view to providing support to their member countries. as such, i suggest, if you deem it suitable, that we request the fund to institutionalize such a meeting in our region, at the frequency most appropriate to us. hence, we would be able to continue the debates and exchanges, assess the progress made, ultimately unite our efforts, and capitalize on our mutual experiences in order to better address the current and future challenges of digital transformation. thank you.