What to expect at the Financing for Development Conference and beyond?

What to expect at the Financing for Development Conference and beyond?

Speakers will discuss the need for localizing finance through strengthened cooperation between national and local governments, private sector actors, and international financial institutions (IFIs). They will elaborate on how to make the international financial architecture more apt for financing local sustainable development projects:

• Multilevel and multilateral cooperation to effectively connect the global sustainability agenda and its local implementation.
• Greater mobilization of resources from multilateral development banks (MDBs) and from the private sector to support local climate-responsive projects.
• De-risking investment in urban SDG projects and improving the creditworthiness of LRGs, ensuring that no place is left behind.
• Advancing financing instruments, such as catalytic financing, guarantee funds, blended financing, and public-private partnerships.

The FfD4 is a big milestone on a long road to localizing financing for development. It is a pivotal event organized by the United Nations to assess and advance the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the central framework for financing sustainable development. The conference aims to address emerging global challenges and mobilize financial resources to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) were acknowledged as important stakeholders in localizing the SDGs, but they often lack the necessary financial resources to act accordingly. Scaling up funding and financing instruments for LRGs is essential for ensuring that they can pay their fair share in financing local efforts, including climate-responsive projects and driving forward the achievement of the SDGs. Mobilizing private capital in addition to public funding can be a gamechanger to achieve these targets. It is particularly relevant for SDG 13 “Climate Action” and SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

It is also essential that LRGs are included in the policy-making process from the outset. This inclusion ensures that global policies are actionable on the ground. The webinar will elaborate – in this respect – on the Mayors’ Declaration on Financing for Development as a tool to reach this goal.

🎤 Speakers:

• Karen Hitschke, CEO of Building Bridges
• Mauricio Rodas, Head of Secretariat of SDSN Urban Commission, former Mayor of Quito

Moderated by Andras Szorenyi, Senior Policy Advisor at the Global Cities Hub

👥  Who Should Attend:

Policy makers, local government officials, climate and development finance professionals, CSOs, donors, multilateral institutions, and anyone passionate about turning global financial promises into local realities.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

What’s at Stake at FfD4: Key issues, potential outcomes, and why this moment is critical for reshaping global financing frameworks.

Localization of Financing:  How shifting financial flows and decision-making power closer to local governments, communities, and indigenous groups can drive more equitable, efficient, and sustainable development.

Urban Climate Financing: Innovative approaches to mobilize and scale local climate finance—including green municipal bonds, community-led climate funds, and climate resilience budgeting.

Multistakeholder partnerships: How to develop policy that connects local leaders, climate innovators, and private and public financing institutions to identify what’s working—and what’s needed.

Registration

Please register here for the online event.