Peter McConaghy

Policy Advisor, Office of the UNSGSA 

Peter is a Policy Advisor to Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA). He provides policy and regulatory guidance to strengthen inclusive financial systems in emerging markets, focusing on Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Colombia), Francophone West Africa, and Nigeria. Peter also leads the UNSGSA's global engagement with the G20 and recently spearheaded analytical work on open finance. Previously, he spent nine years at the World Bank Group, managing financial sector programs in Latin America and the Middle East. He holds a master’s degree in international development and international economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. 

By Peter McConaghy

Blog

Financial Well-being – A Concept That Has Come of Age

The GPFI’s 2024 G20 Policy Note on Financial Well-Being offers a clear framework for linking financial inclusion to meaningful outcomes. It highlights how financial policies, consumer protection, and digital innovation can drive progress, shaping lives far beyond access to services.
Research

Humanitarian Cash Transfers and Financial Inclusion

This Working Paper presents the cases of Jordan and Lebanon in leveraging aid delivery and highlights some of the key challenges these actors face in linking cash transfers to financial inclusion more broadly.
Blog

Vulnerable Groups in Lebanon Cite Health as Top Financial Challenge

A study of refugees and host communities in Lebanon points to a pressing need for financial solutions to help households manage health-related shocks.
Blog

Disaster Risk Insurance to Promote Resilience

A growing body of evidence suggests that disaster insurance makes low-income people more resilient to floods, earthquakes, and other disasters. What challenges must be overcome to make disaster insurance more widely available?
Research

The Role of Financial Services in Humanitarian Crises

While the nature and incidences of humanitarian crises vary significantly, they affect millions of people, particularly the most vulnerable. Based on a literature review, this paper shows how financial services can be an entry point to support FDPs.