The Financing for Development (FfD) process formally began with a UN conference in Monterrey, Mexico in 2002. It was then that governments of developed countries pledged to support development in developing countries, especially in the least developed countries, land-locked countries and small island developing states. Further progress has been made after follow-up conferences held in Doha, Qatar in 2008 and then in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2015. To reach these goals, the Financing for Development Office (FfDO) was established within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the United Nations Secretariat on 24 January 2003 (General Assembly resolution 57/273). 

The principal mission of the Office is to promote and support an integrated, cross-cutting and holistic nature of the FfD follow-up process. To this end, FfDO serves as a focal point in the UN Secretariat for overall follow-up to the implementation of the outcomes of  the above-mentioned conferences and summits, provides secretariat support to the intergovernmental process entrusted with the follow-up to the Conferences, and keeps under review actions taken at all levels in the FfD follow-up process.

The FfDO works in close collaboration with the secretariats of the major institutional stakeholders of the FfD process, i.e. the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAS) and the UN Development Program (UNDP), building on the innovative and participatory modalities and related coordination arrangements utilized in the preparations of the Monterrey Conference and subsequent FfD-related conferences and summits.

NGOs financing for development at the UN

From the early times, before the financing for development office ever existed, many men and women, deeply concerned about the state of the world’s poor, began to conceive a way to start a process by which the then considered Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) could have a hope of being achieved between the years 2000 to 2015. Since we have passed 2015, a whole new process was begun because many of the original goals were only partially attained, and we now have the Sustainable Development Goals which it is hoped will be reached by 2030.

VIVAT International, in representation of all its member Congregations, has participated actively in the non-governmental organizations (NGO) committee on Financing for Development (FfD) since its official beginning in 2004. To avoid confusion, it should be immediately added that the Financing for Development Office (FfDO) of the United Nations (UN) has recently had a name change. It is now referred to as the Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FfSDO).

From the very beginning, the NGO Committee has had a very close and harmonious relationship with the FfDO. That was a first at the UN, in the sense that for the first time, from the very start of the process, civil society (both NGO and the private sector actors) have been recognized as full stakeholders in all meetings, sessions, discussions and negotiations, along with Government representatives and UN Agencies.  All of this, of course, means that VIVAT International has being working and will work with all these institutions.

Our interest, as VIVAT International, is to do all we can to promote measures that will favor the poor and avoid, on the other hand, any more harm coming to the poor because of bad or negative decisions that countries might make. In the end, it is important to say that there have been many positive effects and results, such as the fact that there are about half as many people living in extreme poverty in our world now as compared to the number in the year 2000.

There is still a long way to go, but there is a positive move towards a better future. Therefore the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FfD Forum or FfSDO Forum) has a universal participation mandated to review the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, other financing for development outcomes and the means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The last ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up was held in New York from 23^rd to 26^th April 2018. The four-day event featured a Special High-level Meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO and UNCTAD, ministerial round tables, general debate, thematic discussions on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and other FfD outcomes, and a dialogue with stakeholders. It is of high interest to take a good look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals, FfD Documents and at FfSDO coming Events