Capital moves on trust, and trust rests on good governance. Index providers and global investors are looking more closely at free float, ownership transparency and disclosure quality, and these factors increasingly decide which markets can attract long-term capital. Regulators and the exchange are raising free-float requirements and tightening ownership disclosure, showing how governance reform can rebuild investor confidence. Many growth markets face the same challenge, and the lessons apply well beyond any one jurisdiction.

Values-driven frameworks offer a useful lens. ESG standards, Islamic finance principles and other ethical finance approaches all rest on the same foundations: transparency, accountability, risk-sharing and fair treatment of stakeholders. Financial decisions are often driven by short-term profit, and values-driven investing can look harder to justify. But can putting values first drive stronger long-term returns? Digital rails and AI could build these principles into how markets work, through real-time disclosure, verifiable ownership data, AI-driven screening and monitoring, and programmable compliance.

This roundtable brings together central banks, regulators, standard-setters and financial institutions from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Together they will look at:

• Governance as a market-access issue. What reforms are markets making on free float, ownership transparency and disclosure, and what has worked in rebuilding investor confidence?
• Shared principles across frameworks. Where do ESG, Islamic finance and other values-driven approaches meet? Can values, not just profits, drive financial decisions and long-term returns?
• Technology as an enabler of integrity. How can digital infrastructure, including AI, tokenisation, regtech and virtual asset regulation, make good governance easier to verify and enforce?
• Cross-border cooperation. How can jurisdictions exchange regulatory practices and build supervisory capacity together, through platforms such as the Azimuth Partnership?

The discussion will identify practical next steps for strengthening market integrity, and opportunities for institutions to contribute expertise and shape follow-on work. If you'd like to join this discussion, please reach out to the organizing team at govt@gftn.com