High Level Meeting with World Bank, IMF and UNCTAD
On March 10 and 11 the Economic and Social Council held its annual special
high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade
Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD). Built around the theme “Coherence, coordination and cooperation
on Financing for Development”, the two-day meeting concluded with four informal thematic debates in
addition to its plenary.
Much of the debate centered on how the Bretton Woods institutions – namely the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — the United Nations and other actors in the development sphere could adjust and coordinate their strategies in helping the world’s poorest nations emerge from conflict and settle onto a solid development path.
In a thematic panel discussion on “Follow-up to the 2010 MDG Summit outcome: Building the global partnership for development, including in response to new challenges and emerging issues”, top officials from those bodies described efforts to collaborate and restructure their programmes to better serve recipients’ needs.
Civil Society members had the opportunity to raise their voices in all the thematic discussions. In one session they requested that Financing for development (FFD) be made a commission.
High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development
(23–24 March 2010, UN Headquarters, New York)
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Round table 1:
The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development |
Ms. Bhumika Muchhala Senior Policy Analyst Third World Network |
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Mr. Martin Tsounkeu General Representative Africa
Development Interchange Network |
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Sr. Joan Burke Vice -Chair NGO Committee on Financing for Development (Accredited
through Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur) |
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Round table 2:
The impact of the current financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade |
Ms. Natalia Cardona Advocacy Coordinator Social Watch (accredited
through Third World Institute) |
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Mr. Steve O'Neil Representative to the UN Marianists International |
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Ms. Helen Grace Ankwii-Wangusa Representative to the UN Anglican
Consultative Council
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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 |
Ms. Then Marte Addys Executive Director Alianza ONG CIVICUS |
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Mr. Peter Bakvis Director ITUC |
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Ms. Philo Morris Representative to the UN Medical Mission Sisters |
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Informal interactive dialogue:
The link between financing for development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals: the road to the 2010 high-level event |
Ms. Rajiv Joshi Outreach Coordinator GCAP (Accredited through CIVICUS) |
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Mr. Kevin Dance Chair NGO Committee on Financing for Development (Accredited
through Passionists International) |
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Ms. Fatima Ahmed Executive Director Zenab for Women in Development |
Civil Society participation at the round tables and the informal interactive dialogue