Building forward better within the context of the socioeconomic and financial repercussions of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic requires, more than at any time in the past, the adoption of an integrated approach to financing.
African countries, which formulated some of the first comprehensive Sustainable Development Goal financing strategies, are leading efforts to develop and launch what are known as integrated national financing frameworks. Many African countries are in the initial stages of that process, but, in most cases, have already conducted development finance assessments, in line with guidelines developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Some countries are already drawing up national financing strategies. Realizing that national development and recovery plans cannot be implemented without a coherent approach to the mobilization of resources in support of national priorities, many African countries have called for efforts to share experiences and best practices, practical technical advice and relevant tools in that area. The COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored the relevance of integrated national financing frameworks, which can guide resource allocation and shape financing for sustainable recovery responses.
In response, the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs (DESA), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), UNDP, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have joined forces to create a knowledge-sharing and learning space for African countries where they can share their experiences of integrated national financing frameworks and best practices in that area with a view to facilitating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations, goals and targets of Agenda 2063 of the African Union.
The workshop will build on a successful pilot training session that was held for North and Central Asian countries in January 2021 and a training session organized for Asian and Pacific countries in March 2021. The event will be tailored to the needs of African countries and, inter alia, will include a session on the integrated planning and reporting toolkit, created by ECA to enable member States to align the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 and integrate them into national development plans. Efforts are also being made to incorporate integrated national financing frameworks into the toolkit in order to strengthen the capacity of African countries to allocate limited resources in support of national priorities.
The workshop will, however, adopt a different format from those used in previous events in order to reflect the needs of a much broader target audience. The workshop will be delivered online over three half days and on the second and third days, will include an in-depth analysis of integrated national financing frameworks, including country cases and practical experiences, as revealed in development finance assessments and other integrated national financing framework findings. The event will also aim to generate a discussion on the mobilization of resources in support of efforts to build back better and on how countries can build on their practical experiences to address pressing regional and country-level challenges, including debt sustainability, illicit financial flows, the formulation of budgets that support development, economic governance, and the leapfrogging opportunities of the so-called fourth industrial revolution. The United Nations and its partners plan to offer further training sessions on integrated national financing frameworks in the future.
Recommendations formulated at the workshop will, moreover, inform deliberations at the upcoming African Economic Conference, to be held in December 2021 under the theme “Financing Africa’s post-COVID-19 development”.
Deep Dive into INFF
Building Block 1 “Assessment and Diagnostics” Concept Note
Wednesday, 25 August 2021; 14:00 – 15:30 hrs (East African Time: UTC+3)
Building Block 2 “Financing Strategy” Concept Note
Wednesday, 25 August 2021; 15:30 – 17:00 hrs (Addis Ababa Time: UTC+3)
Building Block 3 “Monitoring and Review” Concept Note
Thursday, 26 August 2021; 14:00 – 15:30 hrs (East African Time: UTC+3)
Building Block 4 “Governance and Coordination” Concept Note
Thursday, 26 August 2021; 15:30 – 17:00 hrs (East African Time: UTC+3)