The Financing for Sustainable Development Office of UN/DESA cordially invites you to Voluntary National Review Lab 9, an informal conversation between countries, including those who participated in the VNRs, the UN system, and other stakeholders around inclusive finance. Financial inclusion enables achievement of the SDGs by increasing equality and encouraging entrepreneurship; a well-functioning and diversified financial sector is an important component of a strategy to mobilize resources to finance the SDGs. This VNR Lab will bring to the forefront country experiences and generate dialogue among all stakeholders on opportunities and challenges in inclusive finance.

Speakers will each make a brief statement regarding their activities and experiences around broadening financial inclusion followed by an interactive roundtable discussion moderated by Mr. Elliott Harris, ASG for Economic Development and Chief Economist in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Participation is open to all HLPF attendees, and questions and comments from the floor are encouraged.

The full concept note can be found here.

Speakers:

• Mr. Elliott Harris (Moderator), ASG for Economic Development and Chief Economist in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Ms. Doljinsuren Jambal, Head, Development Policy and Planning Department, National Development Agency of Mongolia
• Ms. Isabelle van Tol, Strategic Policy Adviser, Sustainable Economic Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
• Mr. Zaheer Fakir, Chief Policy Advisor, International Governance and Resource Mobilization (Environmental Affairs), South Africa
• Mr. Augustin Degroote, Finance and Risk Manager, Blue Like an Orange Sustainable Capital
• Mr. Lubin Wang, Chief Representative Officer of ICBC Africa and Non-Executive Director of Standard Bank Group

For more information on this and other VNR Labs, please visit https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2019/#labs.