FP Virtual Dialogue: Mobilizing Financing for Inclusive Development

How public and private capital can work together to fuel resilient economic recovery and growth

The world’s least developed countries (LDCs) face a severe financing gap that has not been sufficiently covered by official development assistance (ODA) and has been compounded by the economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, private capital has largely stayed on the sidelines, due  to underdeveloped financial industries and investor risk perceptions. Not only is the financing gap constraining LDCs’ ability to build critical infrastructure, advance social services, and recover from the pandemic, but it also impedes progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Governments around the world need to stimulate inclusive and resilient growth to recover from the pandemic, while at the same time addressing rising environmental and sustainability challenges. Blended finance—which combines public, donor, and private funds into the same investments—is increasingly considered a promising means of financing critical projects in least developed markets. These models provide a unique opportunity to diminish perceived risk and strengthen local markets for investment, while also relieving budgetary pressures and stimulating economic activity for governments. While there has been success with launching sustainability projects with blended finance across LDCs, more needs to be done to fill the massive financing shortfall and access to capital. 

Foreign Policy, in partnership with Microsoft, hosted a conversation examining the role blended finance is playing to support sustainable economic growth across LDCs. Funders and project developers will shed light on a range of projects benefiting from this collaborative financing model and the impacts this approach is having on lives and livelihoods. This conversation explored strategies to close the financing gap, scale project finance, and increase investments that will expand economic opportunity across the least developed countries.

Join the conversation online with #BlendedFin4LDCs

In partnership with

READ FP ANALYTICS' REPORT: Mobilizing Financing for Inclusive Development

Speakers

Lani Cossette

Senior Director and Assistant General Counsel, UN Affairs, Microsoft
Lani is Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft’s newly launched UN Affairs team in New York. The team covers a range of issues from environmental sustainability and skilling ...
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Cossette_Lani_2022

Florian Kemmerich

Managing Partner, Bamboo Capital Partners
Florian is entrepreneur and board member of numerous organisations. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Science in Marketing and different diplo...
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Dr. Leora Klapper

Lead Economist, Development Economics, The World Bank
Leora Klapper is a Lead Economist in the Finance and Private Sector Research Team of the Development Research Group at the World Bank. Her publications focus on corporate and ho...
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Klapper_Leora_2022

Farouk Ramji

Chief Executive Officer, Mawingu Networks
Farouk Ramji is currently the CEO at Mawingu Networks, an internet provider operating in 14 rural counties across Kenya. Today Mawingu has connected over 5,000 homes and small b...
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Ramji_Farouk_2022

Preeti Sinha

Executive Secretary, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Preeti Sinha is a globally experienced investment and development banker with a 30-year track record associated with raising and managing institutional public and private develo...
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preeti sinha

Ravi Agrawal

EDITOR IN CHIEF, FOREIGN POLICY. EVENT MODERATOR
Ravi Agrawal is the editor in chief of Foreign Policy. Before joining F...
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