Financing for Development, United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs

Special meeting of ECOSOC on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (New York, 29 May 2013)

Pursuant to its resolution 2012/33, the Economic and Social Council held, on 29 May 2013, a one-day meeting to consider international cooperation in tax matters, including institutional arrangements to promote such cooperation, with the participation of representatives of national tax authorities. The center piece of the meeting was an official launch of the UN Practical Manual on Transfer Pricing for Developing Countries, followed by a panel discussion on “Transfer pricing challenges for developing countries”. The meeting also featured a panel discussion on “International Tax Cooperation: Capacity development in tax matters”, with the participation of major international organizations active in the tax area and an interactive discussion on “Current issues in countering international tax avoidance and tax evasion”. Read more >>

Special high-level meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (New York, 22 April 2013)

The Economic and Social Council held its Special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on 22 April 2013 in the renovated ECOSOC Chamber at the UN Headquarters, New York. The overall theme of the meeting was “Coherence, coordination and cooperation in the context of financing for sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda”. The Secretary-General addressed the meeting. The morning session featured a High-level Panel of Ministers on “World economic situation and prospects in the wake of the world financial and economic crisis”. The afternoon session featured informal thematic debates on: (a) Financing for sustainable development, including through leveraging of private capital, in the context of the follow-up to the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference; and (b) Global partnership for development in the context of post-2015 development agenda. Read more >>

Special meeting of ECOSOC on “External debt sustainability and development: Lessons learned from debt crises and ongoing work on sovereign debt restructuring and debt resolution mechanisms” (New York, 23 April 2013)

Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 67/198, the Economic and Social Council held a one-day meeting on “External debt sustainability and development: Lessons learned from debt crises and ongoing work on sovereign debt restructuring and debt resolution mechanisms” on 23 April 2013 in the ECOSOC Chamber at the UN Headquarters, New York. The event featured a keynote address by Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, entitled “Gaps in legal and institutional structures for debt restructuring”. In addition, senior officials of the World Bank and IMF discussed lessons learned from the history of debt crises and UNCTAD and DESA briefed on the ongoing work on sovereign debt restructuring and debt resolution mechanisms. The afternoon session featured a panel discussion on the “Architecture for debt restructuring”. Read more >>

Fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 65/314, the fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development was held on 7 and 8 December 2011 at UN Headquarters. The Dialogue's overall theme was “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. The two-day event included a series of plenary meetings chaired by the Acting President of the General Assembly, at which ministers and high-level officials made formal statements. The second day included three interactive multi-stakeholder round tables in the morning followed by an informal interactive dialogue in the afternoon, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. Read more >>

Calendar of Events

Past events

30–31 May 2013, New YorkTechnical meeting on “Tax treaty administration and negotiation”
29 May 2013, New YorkECOSOC special meeting on "International cooperation in tax matters"
28 May 2013, New YorkExpert Group Meeting on "Extractive industries taxation"
16 May 2013, New YorkECOSOC Informal Meeting on “The United Nations in global economic governance”
23 April 2013, New YorkECOSOC special meeting on "External debt sustainability and development"
22 April 2013, New YorkSpecial high-level meeting of the ECOSOC with the BWIs, WTO and UNCTAD
16 April 2013, Washington DCSeminar on "New developments in sovereign debt restructuring"
11 April 2013, New YorkBriefing on "Sovereign debt crises, restructuring and resolution mechanisms"
30 January 2013, RomeSeminar on "International Tax Cooperation for Sustainable Development: The Role of the UN Model"
28-29 January 2013, RomeMeetings on "Capacity Building on Tax Treaty Negotiation and Administration"
23 October 2012, New YorkGA 67th session - Second Committee: Item 18 (b) "International financial system and development"
22 October 2012, New YorkGA 67th session - Second Committee: Item 19 "Financing for Development"
15-19 October 2012, GenevaCommittee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters—eighth session
12 October 2012, TokyoPanel discussion on "Facilitating international adjustment through timely debt resolution"

View all FfD Events »

Outcome of the 67th session of the General Assembly in the area of Financing for Development

FfD issues featured prominently in the work of the Second Committee of the 67th session of the General Assembly, including its general debate and consideration of agenda item 18 on Macroeconomic policy questions and 19 on Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Review Conference. Deliberations resulted in the adoption of the following resolutions:

"International trade and development" (A/RES/67/196),

"International financial system and development" (A/RES/67/197),

"External debt sustainability and development" (A/RES/67/198),

"Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development" (A/RES/67/199).

Multi-stakeholder Consultations

Pursuant to the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development, the Financing for Development Office (FfDO) organized multi-stakeholder consultations on:

Multi-stakeholder consultations section Click here for reports »

Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Financial Crisis

By its resolution 63/305 of 11 August 2009, the General Assembly established an ad hoc open-ended working group to follow up on the issues contained in the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development. The Co-Chairs of the Working Group (Ambassador Morten Wetland of Norway and Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe of Zambia), in consultation with all regional groups and key stakeholders, organized a series of six substantive meetings of the Group from April to June 2010. The outcome of these meetings was included in the report of the Working Group (A/64/884), which was presented by the Co-Chairs to the President of the 64th General Assembly.

Doha Review Conference

The Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, Qatar, 29 November - 2 December 2008) resulted in the adoption by consensus of the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development. Officials from more than 160 countries, including nearly 40 Heads of State or Government, attended the four day conference. The Doha Declaration reaffirmed UN Photo/Eskinder Debebethe Monterrey Consensus and called for a United Nations conference at the highest level on the world financial and economic crisis and its impact on development.

Doha Declaration

Report of Doha
Conference (A/CONF.212/7)

Doha Review Conference site »

Financial Crisis Summit

By its resolution 63/303 of 9 July 2009, the General Assembly endorsed the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, held in New York from 24 to 30 June 2009. The 59-paragraph document sets forth a global consensus on the causes, impacts and responses to the current crisis; prioritizes the prompt, decisive and coordinated actions that are required; and defines a clear role for the United Nations.