The Moroccan capital hosted, on June 4 and 5, a high-level workshop on sustainability standards, bringing together regulators from Africa and the Middle East around IOSCO and the World Bank.
Jointly organized by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the World Bank, the event was held under the auspices of the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC). Its central theme was the roadmap towards a coordinated adoption of sustainable reporting standards, at the heart of global ESG issues.
As sustainable finance establishes itself as a lever for economic transformation, discussions focused on the integration of the newly established International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards. The goal: to create a common language for ESG data that is readable, comparable, and reliable across all markets.
Morocco sharing experience
At the opening, Nasser Seddiqi, director of the AMMC’s Business Division, recalled Morocco’s commitment to this dynamic. Yasser Mounsif, director of Issuers at AMMC and chairman of the IOSCO-AMERC working group on sustainable finance, then presented national advancements and best practices drawn from an internal report of the organization.
The experts present detailed the approaches already implemented in other jurisdictions, as well as the concrete tools to align local frameworks with ISSB standards. The meeting aimed to be primarily operational, with a clear intention to move from diagnosis to action.
Towards regional convergence
Beyond the presentations, the workshop facilitated the emergence of a regional consultation dynamic, in a context where financial markets seek to respond to new expectations from investors and international regulators.
With this initiative, Rabat confirms its role as a regional hub for structuring debates around sustainable finance. The event thus lays the groundwork for regulatory convergence across Africa and the Middle East, essential for enhancing transparency and trust in the markets of tomorrow.