On 20 September 2023, the General Assembly convened its second High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development since the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Watch the Morning and Afternoon sessions on UN Web TV.
Read: FFD High Level Dialogue FAQ, Key Facts on FFD, Official Media Advisory, HLD on FFD Overview
By investing in the Sustainable Development Goals, we invest in the future.
António Guterres, UN Secretary General
Aligning and mobilizing resources are major challenges for financing the SDGs. Despite progress since the adoption of the Addis Agenda, growing uncertainties and risks threaten development progress and sustainable finance prospects. As global challenges are more integrated, responses become increasingly fragmented. Facing this context, it is more important than ever to bring financing sustainable development to the center of the international agenda. The High-level Dialogue will aim to renew global commitment to financing at the highest political level. It will serve as a UN call for collective action to energize growth and tackle challenges in the global economy, encourage public and private investment to align with the 2030 Agenda, and promote new and innovative initiatives that target gaps in financing sustainable development.
The High-level Dialogue will be a critical moment to follow up on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and to show political support at the highest level for financing sustainable development. It represents an important platform for Member States and other stakeholders to discuss creative solutions to the current challenges and to advance the means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Addis Agenda mandates that the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, under the auspices of the of the United Nations General Assembly, will be held back-to-back with the SDG Summit, every four years.
The 2023 High-level Dialogue will be the second convened since the adoption of the Addis Agenda and will take place on 20 September 2023, during the UN high-level week at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It will be a one-day event held immediately following the 2023 SDG Summit and will include Heads of State and Government and other senior officials, representatives of the private sector and civil society, international financial institutions including multilateral development banks, academia, and other relevant actors.
The High-level Dialogue will be chaired by the President of the General Assembly.
The internationally agreed Addis Ababa Action Agenda from 2015 provided a new global framework for financing sustainable development that aligns all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities.
The Addis Agenda incorporates all the SDG means of implementation targets into a comprehensive financing framework, and serves as a guide for further actions by governments, international organizations, the business sector, civil society, and philanthropists.
The specific action areas of the Addis Agenda are:
The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly, forms an integral part of an interconnected series of events to advance the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development ensuring complementarity and continuity. The Dialogue will build on the outcome of the 2023 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up. Furthermore, coming immediately after fresh commitments to turbocharge action on the SDGs at the 2023 SDG Summit, the Dialogue will be a critical complement to ensure commensurate financing. It will also serve as a platform for countries and other stakeholders to make announcements and bring new initiatives that could accelerate progress on financing the 2030 Agenda.
The Dialogue will tentatively feature an opening session, two interactive roundtables and a closing session. Each interactive roundtable will feature keynote addresses by Heads of State and Government on specific topics, interventions from Member States, as well as stakeholder responses. It will be an opportunity for Member States and other stakeholders to review progress on existing commitments, to announce new complementary commitments and identify opportunities to steer the financing for development agenda back on track to support the achievement of the SDGs. The High-level Dialogue should be interactive, action-oriented and garner the political attention needed given the urgent need to mobilize sufficient financing for sustainable development. Discussions will tackle both innovative solutions to unlock SDG investments, as well as reforms to strengthen the resilience of the international financial architecture, which should begin immediately.
The High-level Dialogue will take place on 20 September at United Nations Headquarters in New York during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The High-level Dialogue will be at the Heads of State and Government level.
The Chair of the High-level Dialogue will be the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly.
The High-level Dialogue provides an opportunity to reinvigorate international commitment to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, showcase areas of global progress, and raise awareness about emerging challenges to financing for development as well as new solutions to align and mobilize resources for the 2030 Agenda.
The Dialogue will directly inform preparations for the Summit of the Future in 2024, including the ministerial meeting taking place during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It will also feed into the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in October 2023. The High-level Dialogue will help drive forward the calls for a New Global Deal to rebalance power and resources between developed and developing countries. With the decision of the General Assembly to consider convening a Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025, the High-level Dialogue will play a key role in framing the issues that a potential conference could address.
Countries and other stakeholders will make announcements and bring new initiatives that could accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda. According to established practice, the President of the General Assembly will issue an official summary of the High-level Dialogue.
Final programme coming soon...
Outcomes will be available after the High-Level Dialogue concludes.
Delegations wishing to intervene in the interactive roundtables are invited to express their interest through the e-speakers module on e-deleGATE. The expressions of interest will open on Monday, 31 July at 10:00 and close on Tuesday, 5 September 2023 at 18:00. Member States do not need to register to attend.
Experts from international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the UN system wishing to intervene during or attend the High-level Dialogue are invited to express their interest by email to fsd2023@un.org from 31 July to 19 August. Expressions of interest will not guarantee participation.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations and business sector entities wishing to attend the Dialogue must be accredited either through ECOSOC or the financing for development follow-up process or must be included in formal delegations of accredited organizations.
