This meeting focused on the financial organization for the third International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July 13 to July 16 of 2015. The goal of the Conference was to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration. This meeting did not focus on all aspects of funding for the Conference, which the title may suggest. Instead, this meeting emphasized additional funding through voluntary contributions to the FfD trust fund. The Chair stated that this upcoming Conference is funded by voluntary contributions, both public and private.

The estimated budget calls for three outputs, or “clusters”. The first output is for inclusive engagement of country representatives, non-governmental organizations like Unicef, and institutional stakeholders in the Conference and in its preparatory process. The second cluster in the estimated budget is for compendium of policy papers. A set of policy papers will be used to inform individuals and business sectors on interactive hearings of sustainable development financing and goals. The last output for funding is for public outreach and communication.

Money raised for this cluster will go towards mobilizing promotional outreach through social media, posters, and public information materials. The Chair leading the discussion then emphasized his invitation of member states and other donors to donate voluntarily to the trust fund. Countries that have already made pledge contributions include Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway. Each trust fund in DESA is division specific, so funds cannot be taken out of different trust funds to support the upcoming Conference. The Chair concluded by stressing the importance of urgency to get donations in, later stating that organizations should not be shy to make a modest contribution.

Meeting Topic: Briefing for Member States on “The funding requirements for third International Conference on Financing for Development” (organized by the Financing for Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA))
Date: 22 October 2014
Location: Conference Room E, UN HQ, New York.
Written by WIT Representative: Paige Stokols
Edited by WIT Representative: Aslesha Dhillon