The Palestinian Capital Market Authority, in partnership with the Palestine Exchange, has launched the “World Investor Week 2022” activities, which will run until the upcoming Sunday under the theme “Investment Resilience and Enhancing Sustainable Development.” This initiative is part of the campaign initiated by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) for this year.
The launch of the World Investor Week 2022 included a discussion session in collaboration with the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities and the Environmental Quality Authority. The aim was to highlight the most prominent projects of local authorities, promising opportunities, showcase local success stories in green energy, and highlight the achievements of the Environmental Quality Authority. The session also discussed their educational and environmental awareness-raising roles and their contributions to promoting sustainable development. Additionally, it addressed future prospects and obstacles facing sustainable development projects.
In his comments on the launch, Mr. Murad Jadbah, the Director of the Securities Directorate at the Palestinian Capital Market Authority, emphasized the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the importance of establishing dynamic partnerships through collaboration between the public and private sectors. This collaboration aims to enhance readiness for implementing sustainable investment initiatives by raising preparedness levels for implementing sustainable investment goals, whereas the PCMA endeavors through its strategy in the Palestinian context and the challenges accompanying the dominance of Israeli occupation over the resources of the Palestinian state, to give increasing attention to environmental and social issues, governance matters, and impact investments. This includes encouraging investors to explore innovative fundraising programs and advanced technologies that benefit both investors and citizens alike.
He added that the aforementioned is achieved through adopting two interconnected action programs. The first program aims to create conducive conditions and an environment that enhances funding for sustainable development goals. The second program focuses on investing in major projects that benefit from both public and private financing to advance the implementation of sustainable development goals.
On his part, the General Manager of the Palestine Exchange, Nihad Kamal, noted that the participation of the Palestine Exchange and the Capital Market Authority for the fifth consecutive year in these events reinforces the global level of the Palestinian securities sector, despite its relatively small size compared to some of the larger member stock exchanges in the IOSCO in the region and the world.
He further emphasized that financial literacy about investment sustainability is a priority for financial markets, especially in light of investors’ global trends towards achieving resilience and sustainability standards in their investments. The aim is to make investments resistant to shocks and capable of quickly returning to work to achieve community development in accordance with the highest standards of governance and transparency.
Kamal expressed his hope that this event would be a turning point in achieving the presented messages, especially with the launch of the Palestine Exchange’s new electronic systems that will assist listed companies and the Palestine Exchange through new financial tools supporting the direction towards green and sustainable investments. This aims to attract many investors interested in these tools while enabling companies to provide clear reports on their performance in this field.
In his turn, the President of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities, Musa Hadid, said, “We hope that our participation in this week will enhance cooperation and partnership among various components of the Palestinian society, including the public and private sectors and local authorities, to achieve sustainable development.” He added that there are significant challenges and obstacles to achieving this development, as Palestine lacks some of the key foundations required, which poses a significant challenge for everyone in reaching this goal.
In addition, this week will witness several events focusing on the theme of investment resilience and enhancing sustainable development, in parallel with other financial regulatory authorities and stock exchanges worldwide, involving approximately 103 countries around the world.
In the same vein, the Palestinian Capital Market Authority, in partnership with the Palestine Exchange, has launched a joint campaign on their social media platforms to disseminate important messages about sustainable development and investment resilience. They have also produced a short video for the same purpose, in addition to numerous radio and television interviews and podcast appearances.