Joint SDG Fund
2021 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development

07:30 - 08:45 EST
Virtual meeting

Advancing Sustainable Investments in Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi, and Uruguay

Meeting sponsored by the European Union, with special remarks from Mr. Hiro Mizuno, Special Envoy on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments, will be an opportunity to showcase the work of the Joint SDG Fund in the SDG Invest portfolio to other Permanent Representatives.

FfD

The Joint SDG Fund is an innovative instrument to incentivize the transformative policy shifts and stimulate the strategic investments required to get the world back on track to meet the SDGs. The UN Secretary-General sees the Joint SDG Fund as a key part of the reform of the UN’s development work by providing the “muscle” for a new generation of Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to really accelerate SDG implementation. In March 2021, the Fund announced a US$41 million portfolio to catalyze strategic financing to accelerate the SDGs. The allocation expands the Joint SDG Fund’s investments to date to US$223 million, encompassing 101 joint programmes in 97 countries for Integrated Social Protection and SDG Investments.

Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi and Uruguay were selected from 155 proposals from over 100 country applicants across the globe. Each of the four programmes combine public and private money to invest in achieving the SDGs. Each of the four programmes combine public and private money to invest in achieving the SDGs. Fiji will conserve and protect coastal reefs, marine life ecosystems while empowering local communities who rely on reefs for their survival. Indonesia will create a new generation of financial products to combat climate change by transitioning towards low impact energy and empowering the creation of women led small businesses. Malawi will reduce poverty, hunger and inequality by creating jobs and supporting small businesses in the country’s severely undercapitalized agricultural sector. Uruguay will combat climate change by helping transition the country's transportation and industry sectors to green energy while reducing poverty and providing affordable access to innovative clean technologies. These four programmes alone are anticipated to leverage an estimated US$4.7 billion in additional finance.

 

The FfD side event

The side event will be moderated by Jens Wandel, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Reforms, with remarks by Mr. Hiro Mizuno, Special Envoy on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments as well as representatives of the European Union, Ministers of Indonesia, Malawi, Uruguay, the Joint SDG Fund and UNCDF. Speakers will be asked to discuss and showcase the initiatives currently being implemented in their countries, their expected impact and leverage.

                                 

PANELISTS

Mr. Jens Wandel

Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Reforms

Ms. Coco Ushiyama

Director of the WFP office in New York

Mr. Hiro Mizuno

Special Envoy on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments

Mr. Luky Alfirman

Director General of Budget Financing and Risk Management, Minister of Finance, Indonesia

Mr. Omar Paganini

Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Uruguay

Right Honorable Saulos Chilima

Vice President of Malawi

Mr. Felix Fernandez Shaw

Director International Cooperation and Development Policy, DEVCO, European Union

Ms. Preeti Sinha

Executive Secretary, United Nations Capital Development Fund

Mr. Satyendra Prasad

Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations