10–14 February: 4th Financing for Development Conference 3rd Preparatory Committee Session

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UN HQ

Event Details

DATE
10 - 14 February 2025
LOCATION
Online and New York, United States

About

The Third Session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 14 February 2025. FfD4 is a once in a decade opportunity to support reforming the international financial architecture and financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The Session will provide a platform to reflect on the zero draft Outcome Paper, which is based on Member States and other stakeholders' inputs and puts forward potential elements of the Outcome Document of the Conference. 

UNDP is actively engaged in the process, and we invite you to join the side events online to learn more about our innovative work in sustainable finance to achieve the SDGs. The Third PrepCom Session website has more information about the process. 

UNDP side events

TUESDAY 11 February 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ETResource Mobilization and Innovative Finance: Advancing Sustainable Bond Markets Through Strategic Partnerships in LACConference Room 6, UN Headquarters, New York

This roundtable aims to establish a foundation for strong partnerships among UN organizations, multilateral development banks, and investment banks - enabling joint efforts to foster innovative solutions for advancing sustainable bond markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. By aligning expertise and resources, such collaborations can drive financing - and concrete progress - towards the SDGs and other sustainable development targets across the region. The event is co-hosted by CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP and the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the UN. Read more and register here.

Speakers:

  • Herman Kamil, Director of the Sovereign Debt Management Unit at Uruguay’s Ministry of Economy and Finance 
  • Roger Perez, General Directorate of Public Credit of Honduras
  • María Paz Uribe, Principal Funding Officer, CAF
  • Michael Bellantoni, Vice President Sustainable Finance Capital Markets Americas, BNP Paribas 
  • Paulo Barbieri, Thematic Debt Advisor, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP
  • Gulnara Yunusova, Director and Treasurer, Treasury Services Division, IFAD
WEDNESDAY 12 February 2025
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ETFrom Fragility and Crisis to Resilience and Development through Sustainable Finance Conference Room E, UN Headquarters, New York

The side event will examine the barriers to financing in fragile and crisis contexts, and showcase how these challenges are being addressed through innovative financing solutions at the country level. It will also foster discussion on how and where to scale up good practices, and what commitments are needed through the FfD4 process to support these efforts.

Speakers:

  • H.E. Dionisio Da Costa Babo Soares, Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste to the UN
  • Mr. Habib Ur Rehman Mayar, Deputy General Secretary, g7+ Secretariat
  • Ms. Aissata De, Deputy Regional Director for Africa, UNDP
  • Ms. Lana Al-Wreikat, Deputy Director, Office of Emergency Programmes, UNICEF
  • Ms. Corli Pretorius, Head, Research, Analytics, Learning and Innovation, UNDP (moderator)  
1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ETFinance for All: Solutions from local and regional governments

Conference Room 8, UN Secretariat, New York

The event will be broadcasted at UN Web TV

This side event presents concrete solutions for regional and local governments to contribute in financing sustainable development. The event will shed light on how investments through local governments can boost sustainable economic growth across the country, building trust in the public sector and strengthening asset-management capacities to advance the SDGs. The event is co-hosted by United Cities and Local Governments, Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, UNDESA, UNDP and UNCDF.

Speakers:

  • Caroline Lombardo, Chief, International Tax and Development Cooperation Branch, Financing for Sustainable Development Office United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
  • Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener (Canada) and Co-president of United Cities and Local Governments
  • Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
  • Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support, UNDP
  • David Jackson, Lead Advisor, Local Finance Manager, United Nations Capital Development Fund
  • Monica Asuna, Director of Planning and the Head of UN Agencies Division and Development Effectiveness Secretariat, National Treasury and Planning, Government of Kenya
  • Paul Smoke, Professor of Public Finance and Planning, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
  • Marina Ponti, Director, UN SDG Action Campaign
  • Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener (Canada) and Co-president of United Cities and Local Governments
1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ETPublic Finance for SDGs: Taking Forward the DialogueConference Room D, UN Headquarters, New York

The 2025 Dialogue on Public Finance and SDGs brought together finance ministers, development partners, and experts to examine integrated approaches for mobilizing and managing public resources towards the SDGs. This event uses insights from the Dialogue to inform collaborative action and ensure that developing country perspectives shape tangible outcomes at FfD4. The event is co-hosted by UNDP, Government of Finland and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Speakers:

  1. Ms. Shari Spiegel, Director, Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO), UN DESA 
  2. Mr. Matt Davies, Assistant Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, and Head of Global Public Finance Partnership, IMF 
  3. H.E. Mr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, Chargé d’affaires, Permanent Mission of Iraq to the UN and Chair of G77 and China 
  4. H.E. Mr. Kaushal Kishor Ray,Deputy Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN 
  5. Ms. Toril-Iren Pedersen, Assistant Director and Head of Section for Governance and Transparency, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) 
  6. H.E. Mrs. Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, Ambassador, Financing for Sustainable Development, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland 
  7. Moderated by Mr. Thomas Beloe, Director, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP 
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ETTax Inspectors Without Borders: From AAAA to FfD4 - Strengthening Tax Cooperation for the 2030 Agenda Conference Room E, UN Headquarters, New York

A flagship initiative launched under the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) has demonstrated the power of practical, hands-on cooperation in international tax matters. With US$2.3 billion in additional tax revenues and US$6.05 billion in tax assessments generated across 70 countries, TIWB has proven its effectiveness in enhancing tax capacity. As the international community shapes new commitments through the Financing for Development process, TIWB stands ready to expand its role in transforming tax cooperation into concrete development outcomes that advance the 2030 Agenda. The event is co-hosted by the Government of Finland and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, UNDP, and OECD.

Speakers:

  • Mary Beth Goodman, Deputy Secretary General, OECD 
  • Mr. Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director BPPS, UNDP
  • H.E. Mr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations 
  • Mr. Jose Gilberto Scandiucci Filho, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations 
  • H.E. Ms. Charlotta Schlyter, Ambassador for ECOSOC and Sustainable Development at the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations 
  • Senior Representative, Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations 
  • Ms. Mary Baine, Deputy Executive Secretary & Head: Strategy, Planning and International Co-Operation, African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) 
  • Mr. Thomas Beloe, Director, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP 
THURSDAY 13 February 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ETAligning Private Business and Finance with the SDGs: The Role of ISO/UNDP Standards Conference Room 5, UN Headquarters, New York and
Online

This event will explore the critical role of the ISO-UNDP partnership in advancing sustainability through standards and discuss the transformative potential of these tools in driving accountability, fostering partnerships, and scaling SDG-aligned investments globally. The event is co-hosted by UNDP and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Speakers:

  • Javier García Díaz, Vice-President, ISO
  • Ana Peña, Global Sustainability & Climate Change Head, Ferrovial
  • Karén Vardanyan, Cofounder & Co-Executive Director, Creatella Impact
  • Kirsten Brosbøl, Former Minister of Environment, Denmark
11:30 am - 1:00 pm ETDebt Instruments and Human Rights: Innovative Financing to End Modern Slavery and Human TraffickingOnline

This roundtable will explore the potential of thematic bonds in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking. It will highlight the critical role of financial innovation and sustainable debt in building resilient, inclusive economies while combating exploitation. The event is co-hosted by UNDP and the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations.

For more details, please find the concept note here.

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ETDeveloping a playbook: actions for collaboration between finance institutions and development institutionsConference Room D, UN Headquarters, New York and onlineThis event will advance discussion among partners about concrete ways of working and new initiatives to catalyse action on the FfD agenda. The outcomes of this meeting can be the foundation for discussion at the upcoming FICS Summit and beyond in order to shape concrete commitments at the FfD4 Conference in Seville. The event is co-hosted by  UNDP, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Government of South Africa.
1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ETEQUANOMICS – Public Finance for Gender Equality: Placing Gender Equality at the Forefront of the FfD AgendaConference Room C, UN Headquarters, New YorkThis event aims to achieve a consensus on financing for gender equality and to build a strong coalition in support of this agenda, in the lead-up to and during FfD4.
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. ETFuture Proofing Development: The Absence of Financial Resilience in a World of Rising Risks  OnlineThis event will discuss the role of insurance, risk finance and risk sharing in a reformed international financial architecture that enables developing countries to prioritize climate and development investments. In a world of rising climate risks, we will exchange ideas on how to future-proof development, and how the insurance industry can incentivize investment in climate action and resilience. The discussion will focus on partnerships among public- and private-sector partners, which are critical to advance insurance solutions that constitute global public goods. The event is co-hosted by UNDP and the Insurance Development Forum.
FRIDAY 14 February 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ETINFFs and Country Platforms: Strengthening the Alignment Between Investment Plans and Policy FrameworksConference Room 5, UN Headquarters, New York and online

This event showcases how Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) complement other country-led strategies. Countries are using INFFs to develop (and some are implementing) financing strategies and investment plans that integrate financing with policy frameworks - demonstrating how alignment can improve the effectiveness of development investments. INFFs and country platforms can work hand in hand to close financing gaps, align investments with the SDGs, and accelerate progress towards national sustainability targets. This event provides a forum to discuss the integration of INFFs and country platforms, and create practical playbook for INFF-country platform integration.  The event is co-hosted by the Government of Spain and INFF Facility (UNDP, DESA, UNICEF, OECD, EU, Italy, Spain, Sweden). Read more here.

Speakers include:

  • Sergio Colina, Director General for Sustainable Development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spain
  • Thomas Beloe, Director, UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub
  • Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy for the 2030 Agenda
  • Oliver Schwank, Chief, Policy Analysis and Development Branch, UN DESA
  • Dr. Şebnem Şener, Head of Private Finance for the SDGs, UNDP (Moderator)
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ETTriangulating Climate, Nature and Development through Integrated FinanceConference Room 5, UN Headquarters, New YorkThis session will provide with actionable insights on investment in climate and nature within developing countries, emphasizing public and private financing for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Panelists will share experiences of initiatives that bring together climate, nature and development - as well as the financing strategies that underpin them. They will also highlight the collective action necessary for enhancing global cooperation to overcome both political and environmental challenges.  Read more here.