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 were able to make 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. The themes of the three round tables and the interactive dialogue were as follows:
- Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
- Round table 2: “The impact of the world financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;
- Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;
- Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals”.
At the closing, the Acting President of the General Assembly made concluding remarks. Full summary by the President of the General Assembly will be issued as an official UN document. Read more >>
2011 Special meeting of ECOSOC with BWIs, WTO & UNCTAD
The Economic and Social Council held its Special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO and UNCTAD on 10 and 11 March 2011 in New York. The overall theme of the meeting was “Coherence, coordination and cooperation on Financing for Development”. The UN Secretary-General addressed the meeting. Following a short opening plenary with brief statements by the President of ECOSOC and the President of the Trade and Development Board, the meeting consisted of four informal thematic debates. The meeting resulted in the summary by the President of ECOSOC (A/66/75-E/2011/87).
Read more >>
Calendar of Events
Upcoming events
- 12-13 March 2012, New YorkSpecial high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- 15 March 2012, New YorkECOSOC special meeting on "International cooperation in tax matters"
- July 2012, New YorkECOSOC special event on "Innovative mechanisms of financing for development"
- 15-19 October 2012, GenevaCommittee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters - eighth session
Past events
- 3 February 2012, New YorkSpecial event on "Financing social development"
- 16 December 2011, New YorkGeneral Assembly 66th session - Item 123(b) "Central role of the United Nations system in global governance"
- 7-8 December 2011, New YorkFifth GA High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development
- 6 December 2011, New YorkCivil Society Forum on Financing for Development
- 10 November 2011, New York Panel Discussion on "Donor accountability - in increasing international financial and technical cooperation for development"
- 24-28 October 2011, GenevaCommittee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters - seventh session
- 14 October 2011, New YorkBriefing by the World Bank and IMF on the outcome of the 2011 Annual Meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions
- 13 October 2011, New YorkGA 66th session - Second Committee: Item 18 "Financing for Development"
- 10 October 2011, New YorkGA 66th session - Second Committee: Item 17(b) "International financial system and development"
- 4-29 July 2011, GenevaSubstantive Session of ECOSOC
- 12 July 2011, GenevaPanel discussion on "Building on Istanbul: Financial support for development efforts of LDCs, including through South-South and triangular cooperation"
- 11 July 2011, GenevaPanel discussion on "Global Economic Governance and Development: Enhancing the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems"
- 28 June 2011, New YorkGeneral Assembly informal thematic debate on "The United Nations in global governance"
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.
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:
Outcome of the 65th 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 65th 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 financial system and development" (A/RES/65/143),
"External Debt Sustainability and Development" (A/RES/65/144),
"Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development"
(A/RES/65/145)
and "Innovative mechanisms of financing for development" (A/RES/65/146).
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.
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.
2002 International Conference on FfD
FfD Publications
- Overview
- Doha Review Conference
- Events
- Documents
- Intergovernmental Follow-up
- Civil Society & Business Sector
- Multistakeholder Consultations
- Tax Cooperation Committee
- Innovative Finance
- Global Economic Governance
- Newsletter
- Trust Fund
- GA decision 63/564 on "High-Level Dialogue of the General Assembly on Financing for Development" (A/63/L.102)
- GA resolution 63/305 on "Establishment of an ad hoc open-ended working group of the General Assembly 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"(A/RES/63/305)
- GA resolution on "Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development"
(A/RES/63/303) - ECOSOC resolution 2009/30 on "A strengthened and more effective intergovernmental inclusive process to carry out the financing for development follow-up" (see page 88 in E/2009/INF/2/Add.1)
- ECOSOC decision 2009/258 on "Follow-up to paragraph 56 of the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development"(see page 153 in E/2009/INF/2/Add.1)
- GA resolution on "Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: outcome document of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus"
(A/RES/63/239)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "The promotion and enhancement of a coordinated response of the UN development system and the specialized agencies in the follow-up to and implementation of the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development"
(E/2009/114) - Note by the Secretariat on "Enhancing collaboration and cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions" (E/2009/115)
- Note by the Secretariat on "Possible establishment of an ad hoc panel of experts on the world economic and financial crisis and its impact on development"
(E/2009/113) - Note by the Secretary-General on "Proposed organization of work of the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development"
(A/64/377) - Report of the Secretary-General on "Follow-up to and implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development" (A/64/322)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "Progress report on innovative sources of development finance" (A/64/189)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "International financial system and development" (A/64/178)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "Towards a durable solution to the debt problems of developing countries" (A/64/167)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "International trade and development" (A/64/177)
- Summary by the President of the Economic and Social Council of the special high-level meeting of the Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (New York, 27 April 2009)-(A/64/76-E/2009/60)
Report of the Second Committee on "Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Review Conference" (A/66/439)- Report of the Second Committee on "International trade and development"
(A/66/438/Add.1) - Report of the Second Committee on "International financial system and development" (A/66/438/Add.2)
- Report of the Second Committee on "External debt sustainability and development"
(A/66/438/Add.3) - Report of the Second Committee on "Commodities"
(A/66/438/Add.4) - Draft GA resolution on "Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development" (A/C.2/66/L.79)
- Draft GA resolution on "External debt sustainability and development" (A/C.2/66/L.73)
- Draft GA resolution on "Addressing excessive price volatility in food and related financial and commodity markets" (A/C.2/66/L.72)
- Draft GA resolution on "Commodities" (A/C.2/66/L.70)
- Draft GA resolution on "International financial system and development" (A/C.2/66/L.69)
- Draft GA resolution on "International trade
and development" (A/C.2/66/L.39)
- Letter dated 3 October 2011 from the Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/C.2/66/3)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "Global Economic Governance and Development"
(A/66/506) - Report of the Secretary-General on "Follow-up to and implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development" (A/66/329)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "Innovative mechanisms of financing for development" (A/66/334)
- GA resolution 65/313 on "Follow-up to the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development"
- GA resolution 65/314 on "Modalities for the fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development"
- Note by the Secretary-General on "Proposed organization of work of the fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development" (A/65/897)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "International financial system and development" (A/66/167)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "External debt sustainability and development" (A/66/164)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "International trade and development" (A/66/185)
- ECOSOC resolution 2011/37 on "Recovering from the world financial and economic crisis: a Global Jobs Pact"
- ECOSOC decision on "Dates and draft agenda for the seventh session of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters" (E/2011/L.42)
- ECOSOC resolution 2011/39 on "Follow-up to the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development: consideration of the possible establishment of an ad hoc panel of experts"
- ECOSOC resolution 2011/38 on "Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development"
- ECOSOC resolution 2011/23 on "Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters"
- Letter dated 27 May 2011 from the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/65/857)
- Summary by the President of the ECOSOC of the special high-level meeting of the Council with BWIs, WTO and UNCTAD (A/66/75-E/2011/87)
- Letter dated 16 March 2011 from the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/65/818)
- Report of the Secretary-General on "Strengthening of institutional arrangements to promote international cooperation in tax matters, including the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters"
(E/2011/76) - Note by the Secretary-General on "Coherence, coordination and cooperation on Financing for Development"
(E/2011/74) - GA resolution 65/146 on "Innovative mechanisms of financing for development"
- GA resolution 65/145 on "Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development"
- GA resolution 65/144 on "External debt sustainability and development"
- GA resolution 65/143 on "International financial system and development"
- GA resolution 65/142 on "International trade and development"
- GA resolution 65/94 on "The United Nations in global governance"
- GA resolution 65/10 on "Sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth for poverty eradication and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals"