The Conference on Financing for Development in Small States will bring together senior officials from Ministries of Finance, representatives from national and regional organisations, international financial institutions and UN agencies.
As the end date of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, the global community is focused on shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda. A significant aspect of these new internationally agreed goals for development is the financing framework that will help to make them a reality.
This framework will be decided at the UN’s Third International Conference on Financing for Development. To ensure that the needs of small states are considered during negotiations at this high-level meeting, the Commonwealth will be holding a Conference on Financing for Development in Small States.
The initiative was proposed by the Commonwealth Open-Ended Ministerial Working Group on Small States, and will take place in Bridgetown, Barbados 25-26 March 2015. It will bring together senior officials from Ministries of Finance, representatives from national and regional organisations, international financial institutions and UN agencies.
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General Deodat Maharaj stressed the importance of preparing smalls states for effective engagement in international forums on financing for development.
He said: “Many small states are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of external shocks such as climate change and global economic downturns. The Commonwealth’s Conference on Financing for Development in Small States will allow small states and international organisations to address the challenges they face in accessing the funding required to build resilience and achieve their sustainable development goals.”
