The COMESA Monetary Institute, together with the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, on 24-26 January 2012 host a symposium for top managers of human resources in central banks in the COMESA region. The inaugural conference brought together participants from 11 COMESA Member States’ central banks, and others from the central banks of Tanzania and South Sudan.
At the conference, Kenya’s Central Bank Governor, Professor Njuguna Ndung’u acknowledged the daunting task central banks face in adapting requisite human resources to the era of institutional and modernization reforms arising from a changing, global, financial environment.
“For central banks, modernization to conform to the ever-changing business environment and benchmarking best practices is no longer an option. These changes will continuously take central banks into new horizons that bring forth both opportunities; and threats that we need to mitigate against”, Prof. Ndung’u said.
Held under the theme: “Driving Central Banks through the 21st Century”, the event also served as a resource base for participants to reflect and debate current and emerging human resource challenges affecting or are likely to impact on central banks’ performance and service delivery within the COMESA region.
The conference, facilitated by renowned and competent personalities with extensive practical and research-based knowledge and expertise, gave participants a chance to identify critical skills required to drive regional central banks through the next decade and beyond.
It was held as a capacity building initiative in support of COMESA regional integration, also providing a forum for HR directors from central banks to review and debate the HR challenges within the region.