Background
In its resolutions 78/231 and 78/271, the General Assembly decided to convene a Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) on 30 June to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain. The Conference will assess progress in the implementation of the Financing for Development outcomes, and address new and emerging issues, including to support reform of the international financial architecture. The Conference will result in an intergovernmentally negotiated outcome document. A zero draft is expected to be circulated in early January 2025, with negotiations commencing at the third session of the Preparatory Committee, which will be held in New York from 10-14 February 2025.
Means of implementation, in particular financing issues, were among the most prominent at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which took place on 27 to 30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda. The Conference resulted in the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS). In the ABAS the international community committed to, inter alia, reform the international financial architecture to facilitate easier access to affordable and concessional finance for SIDS, support SIDS to sustainably manage their debt and scale-up climate finance. The Alliance of Small Island States committed to taking forward these priorities on behalf of SIDS in FFD4, however so far the majority of SIDS have not actively engaged in the preparatory process.
This workshop is organised by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, SIDS Unit, in collaboration with the Financing for Sustainable Development Office of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It seeks to address barriers to SIDS effective participation in the FFD4 preparatory process and build their capacity to pursue their priorities in the intergovernmental negotiations, to enable them to engage on a level playing field and make their voices heard.
The workshop is being organised in conjunction with the Academic Day and Second Preparatory Committee session to be convened in New York on 2-6 December 2024 as part of the preparatory process for FFD4 and complements ongoing efforts by DESA to support the participation of experts from developing countries in the preparatory process for FFD4.
Objectives
The objectives of this workshop are to:
- Strengthen the capacity of experts from SIDS capitals and UN Permanent Missions to engage in intergovernmental negotiations on financing for development, particularly in the context of FFD4;
- Support enhanced coordination between SIDS capitals and UN Permanent Missions in New York on financing for development;
- Strengthen expertise of officials from both SIDS capitals and UN Permanent Missions, on specific aspects of the financing for development agenda, that are of particular relevance to SIDS; and
- Build interlinkages between the ABAS and FFD4 outcome document.
Presentations
Summaries
Opening Session: Welcome and workshop objectives
- Ms. Shari Spiegel, Director, Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO), DESA
- Mr. Sai Navoti, Chief, SIDS Unit, DESA
Session 1: The financing for development agenda: What’s at stake and opportunities for SIDS (Ambassadorial Segment)
Moderator: Ms. Shari Spiegel, Director, FSDO, DESA
History and progress across the FfD agenda for SIDS (10 mins)
AOSIS perspectives on what FFD4 can achieve (10 mins)
Co-Facilitators of the FFD4 outcome document perspectives (10 mins)
- H.E. Mr. Lok Behadur Thapa, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal
- Mr. Andreas Løvold, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway
Interactive discussion (45 mins)
Guiding questions
- How were SIDS’ priorities addressed in the Elements Paper?
- What issues are missing?
Session 2: International Development Cooperation
Moderator: Ms. Cecilia Caio, Economic Affairs Officer, FSDO, DESA
Key trends and challenges in SIDS and the evolution of international development cooperation agreements (10 mins)
Expert insights (10 mins)
- Mr. Olivier Cattaneo, Head of Unit, Policy Analysis and Strategy, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD
Interactive discussion (70 mins)
Respondent
- Ms. Raatu Aretaake, Senior Sector Economic, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Kiribati
Guiding questions
- How can FFD4 help advance the international cooperation agenda in line with the needs and priorities of SIDS?
- What are emerging issues and areas of concern that should be reflected in the FFD4 outcome document?
- What are the priority implementation gaps that FFD4 should address for SIDS, and how?
- What are the key commitments from the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) related to international cooperation which should be considered in the FFD4 outcome document?
Deep dive: Debt Sustainability Support Service for SIDS
- Mr. Tumasie Blair, Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda
- Ms. Ritu Bharadwaj, Director Climate Resilience and Loss, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Session 3: Debt and debt sustainability
Moderator: Mr. Oliver Schwank, Chief, Policy Analysis and Development Branch, FSDO, DESA
Key trends and challenges in SIDS and the evolution of debt agreements (10 mins)
Expert insights (10 mins)
Interactive discussion (70 mins)
Respondent
- Ms. Dian Black, Deputy Financial Secretary, Economic Management, Ministry of Finance and Public Service, Jamaica
Guiding questions
- How can FFD4 help advance the debt and debt sustainability agenda in line with the needs and priorities of SIDS?
- What are emerging issues and areas of concern that should be reflected in the FFD4 outcome document?
- What are the priority implementation gaps that FFD4 should address for SIDS, and how?
- What are the key commitments from the ABAS related to debt and debt sustainability which should be considered in the FFD4 outcome document?
Day 1 wrap-up
- Ms. Rosemary O’Hehir, Advisor, SIDS Unit, DESA
Session 4: International trade as an engine for development
Moderator: Ms. Mariangela Parra-Lancourt, Chief, Strategic Engagement and Policy Integration Branch, FSDO, DESA
Key trends and challenges in SIDS and the evolution of trade agreements (10 mins)
Expert insights (10 mins)
- Dr. Matthew Bishop, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, University of Sheffield
Interactive discussion (70 mins)
Respondents
- Mr. Imran Jimal Williams, Director of Finance, Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Youth Economy, Saint Lucia
- Ms. Poonam Pritika, A/g Head of Strategic and Planning Office and Focal Point for Financing for Development, Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Fiji
Guiding questions
- How can FFD4 help advance the international trade agenda in line with the needs and priorities of SIDS?
- What are emerging issues and areas of concern that should be reflected in the FFD4 outcome document?
- What are the priority implementation gaps that FFD4 should address for SIDS, and how?
- What are the key commitments from the ABAS related to international trade which should be considered in the FFD4 outcome document?
Session 5: Domestic and International Private Business and Finance
Moderator: Ms. Sharon Lindo, Economic Affairs Officer, FSDO, DESA
Key trends and challenges in SIDS and the evolution of domestic and international private business and finance (10 mins)
Expert insights (10 mins)
Interactive discussion (70 minutes)
Respondent
- Ms. Etiandra Alcione Silva Santos Costa, Advisor to the Minister of Finance, Guinea-Bissau
Guiding questions
- How can FFD4 help advance the domestic and international private business and finance agenda in line with the needs and priorities of SIDS?
- What are emerging issues and areas of concern that should be reflected in the FFD4 outcome document?
- What are the priority implementation gaps that FFD4 should address for SIDS, and how?
- What are the key commitments from the ABAS related to domestic and international private business and finance which should be considered in the FFD4 outcome document?
Session 6: The road to FFD4 (Ambassadorial Segment)
Moderator: Mr. Sai Navoti, Chief, SIDS Unit, DESA
Presentation of recommendations arising from the workshop to support AOSIS’ in negotiations on the FFD4 Outcome Document (15 mins)
Strategic discussion on SIDS’ approach to FFD4 negotiations (75 mins)
Lead
- Mr. Tumasie Blair, Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda
Guiding questions
- How can SIDS best position themselves in the negotiations to achieve their priorities?
- What are the synergies between SIDS’ priorities and other groups that could be leveraged in negotiations?
Closing session: Next steps
- Ms. Shari Spiegel, Director, Financing for Sustainable Development Office, FSDO, DESA
Mr. Sai Navoti, Chief, SIDS Unit, DESA
