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2025 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development & 4th PrepCom for FFD4
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The ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development will be held on 28 to 29 April 2025, followed by the Fourth Preparatory Committee (4th PrepCom) Session for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) from 30 April to 1 May 2025 at Trusteeship Council, UN Headquarters, New York.
On 28 April, in an exceptional joint effort by the President of ECOSOC and the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee of FFD4, Ministers and high-level officials will have the opportunity to express their views and foster political momentum for the FFD4 Conference.
The Forum this year assumes added importance and a critical role in mobilizing momentum and concrete solutions for FFD4. Held back-to-back with the 4th FFD Preparatory Committee session, the deliberations of the forum will feed into the discussions on the outcome of the FFD4.
Both events bring together ministers and high-level government officials as well as senior officials of international organizations. Civil society organizations, the business sector and local authorities will also be represented.
The 2025 Forum and the 4th PrepCom will be livestreamed on UN Web TV.
Please click on the category in this Participate page that best describes your organization to find the suitable registration portal.
Programme of FFD Forum and 4th PrepCom
Click here for the pdf version of the FFD Forum programme.
Click here for the pdf version of the 4th PrepCom programme.
Click here for the pdf version of the FFD Forum & 4th PrepCom programme of Side Events or click here to view the Side Events on the UN Journal
Programme for 28th April, 2025
ECOSOC FFD Forum Opening session: Our joint ambition for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development
Chair: H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC
Opening and welcome remarks
- H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC
- H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
- H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the General Assembly
Introductory remarks by the Co-chairs of the Preparatory Committee of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development and the Host of the Conference
- H.E. Mr. Zéphyrin Maniratanga Permanent Representative of Burundi
- H.E. Mr. Rui Vinhas Permanent Representative of Portugal
- H.E. Ms. Eva María Granados Galiano, Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Spain
Ministerial fireside chat 1 : Lowering borrowing costs and advancing development-oriented debt solutions
In response to successive shocks, multilateral lenders have made efforts to increase the provision of concessional resources while international financial institutions have advanced important institutional reforms. Yet, many developing countries continue to face high debt service burdens and borrowing costs, which severely constrain their fiscal space for critical investments to support three dimensions of Sustainable Development. Sovereign debt restructurings, when needed, are often slow and unpredictable.
This session will discuss the steps needed to lower borrowing costs for developing countries and bring about a development-oriented sovereign debt architecture.
Framing questions:
- How can international and national efforts strengthen efforts to support preventative debt measures, such as state contingent debt instruments, including climate resilient debt clauses?
- What mechanisms can lower borrowing costs for developing countries and enhance fiscal space for sustainable development investments?
- What steps are needed to ensure sovereign debt restructurings broadly support development priorities and are efficient, fair, predictable, coordinated, timely and orderly?
Chair: ECOSOC President/Vice-President
Moderator: Mr. Claver Gatete, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa
- H.E. Mr. Gareth do Espírito Santo Guadalupe, Minister of Finance, São Tomé and Príncipe
- H.E. Ms. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Egypt
- H.E. Mr. William Roos, Assistant Secretary for Multilateral, Development and Trade Affairs, Treasury, France
Civil society response from the floor (2 minutes)
Ministerial interactive discussion
Programme for 29th April, 2025
Closing of the Forum
Chair: President of ECOSOC
- Closing remarks by Ms. Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary General
- Closing statement by the President of ECOSOC
Dialogue with Senior Representatives of the WBG and IMF
- Chair: H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC
- Mr. Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director, The World Bank Group [virtual]
- Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
Special High-level Meeting with Bretton Woods Institutions, WTO and UNCTAD
Chair: H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC
10:30 – 10: 45 Opening Remarks by intergovernmental representatives
- H.E. Dr. Ryadh Alkhareif, IMFC Deputy Chair, IMF (confirmed)
- Representative of the Development Committee (tbc)
- H.E. Mr. Paul Bekkers, President, Trade and Development Board, UNCTAD (video message)
- H.E. Mr. Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel, Chair of WTO General Council (tbc)
Interactive Dialogue between UN Permanent Representatives and the Executive Directors of the World Bank Group and IMF
10:45 – 11:40 Topic 1: The IMF’s Contribution to Financing for Development Agenda: Its Role in strengthening global macroeconomic and financial stability – a deep dive
The IMF has a strong role in helping countries maintain or restore macroeconomic and financial stability and implement sound policies that support sustainable and inclusive growth.
- What lessons can be learnt from the IMF’s continued policy advice, capacity development and lending efforts to support countries facing balance of payment needs?
- What past and current country examples would participants emphasize in highlighting the Fund’s support for strengthening countries’ macroeconomic frameworks, which are essential for sustainable development?
Speakers
Moderator: Veda Poon, IMF Liaison Committee Chair
- Discussant: Member State
- Discussant: Stakeholder - CSO
- Executive Director, IMF
- Interactive discussion: Questions/comments from the floor
11:40 – 12:35 Topic 2: The WBG’s Contribution to Financing for Development Agenda Reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development
Over the last 20 years, WBG’s annual financing grew fivefold to $120 billion in 2024, driven by shareholder support, capital framework reforms, and IDA financial transformation. The WBG Evolution has further expanded lending headroom, enhanced efficiency, introduced a new scorecard, and strengthened partnerships.
- Over the next years, what are the priorities the WBG should focus to further increase its effectiveness and development impact? How should knowledge contribute to this?
- In the new global context, what are the most realistic and effective avenues to further increase financial resources for development and emerging countries?
- Which specific sectors and structural reforms should the WBG focus on when providing advice and financial support to client countries?
Speakers
Moderator: Mr. Matteo Bugamelli, Dean, Board of Executive Directors, The World Bank Group
- Discussant: Member State
- Discussant: Stakeholder - CSO
- Executive Director, WBG
- Interactive discussion: Questions/comments from the floor
12:35 – 12:45 Summary remarks
- Mr. Matteo Bugamelli, Dean, Board of Executive Directors, The World Bank Group
- Ms. Veda Poon, Chair, Liaison Committee, IMF Executive Board
Programme for 30th April, 2025
Debt and the Cost of Borrowing
Panel discussion 2 on specific actions in the first draft of the outcome document on ‘II.E. Debt and debt sustainability’
Introductory remarks and moderation
H.E. Ms. Merete Fjeld Brattested, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations
Panelists
Mr. Phil Stevens, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom
Ms. Monica Asuna, The National Treasury, Kenya
Mr. Jose Correia, Director General, Economic and Development Cooperation, Cabo Verde
Discussants
Mr. Gianpiero Leoncini, Executive Vice-President, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Interactive discussion (2-minute time limit)
Background and Guiding Questions
Amid successive crises and shocks, sovereign debt challenges have become one of the greatest obstacles to realizing sustainable development. Many developing countries face high debt service burdens and borrowing costs, which severely constrain their fiscal space and ability to address poverty and inequality and invest in sustainable development. Despite progress in reforming the debt architecture, restructurings are often still inadequate, late and too lengthy. A development-oriented debt architecture, based on sound and transparent analysis of debt sustainability, is urgently needed to address these debt challenges.
The debt chapter outlines four areas of actions to address these challenges, including actions to: i) strengthen debt management, debt transparency, and responsible borrowing and lending; ii) lower borrowing cost and enhance fiscal space for investment in sustainable development in developing countries; iii) achieve efficient, fair, predictable, coordinated, timely, and orderly restructurings; and iv) promote debt sustainability and credit assessment that are more accurate, objective and long-term oriented.
Panelists in this session are invited to pay particular attention to the proposals on strengthening and systematizing of liquidity and liability management support and on closing gaps in the debt architecture. They are invited to address the following questions:
- What are the key constraints to scaling up and ensuring coordinated support to countries to enhance fiscal space and lower their cost of borrowing, and to provide related financial instruments, such as debt swaps and credit enhancements at scale? (action 42)
- How can we provide such support at scale, taking into account the need for providing financial support, and for responsiveness to country-specific needs and circumstances? (42b)
- What are the most critical gaps that need to be closed to create a development-oriented debt architecture? (action 43).