Financing for development: keynote speech by Jeffrey Sachs and panel debate

2015 is a key year in the fight against global poverty. Governments will adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the period to 2030. Prospects for achieving those goals will be greatly enhanced by a successful outcome at the United Nations’ Financing for Development summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The year will close with the Paris climate change summit. To mark this crucial year, ODI has launched #GlobalChallenges – a new debate series bringing together the world’s most influential thinkers, decision makers, business leaders and opinion makers to discuss both the opportunity and challenge that this year presents. The aim is to share ideas, debate and highlight practical action on these major global issues that often don’t get air-time in the domestically focused public agenda.

The first of these events, Financing for sustainable development, will focus on the critical role of international public finance as a driver for poverty eradication and sustainable development.

Chair: Kevin Watkins - Executive Director, ODI
Keynote speaker: Professor Jeffrey Sachs - Director of The Earth Institute, Columbia University and key architect of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

[ericmcpherson]

Great talks to implement is the challenge.

[geoffreyfinch]

Why is 2015 such a critical year for SDGs? That there were conferences in the past seems like an insufficient explanation. If it is because of climate change, the science behind that is still very young and could turn out to be reinterpreted in the future. So what makes 2015 such a critical year for SDGs?

[davidturay]

The challenge to reduce maternal mortality in Africa sub-sahara can only be achieved if the governments in such countries institutes policies to discourage the traditional method of reproductive health.The tremendous economic stress such as the challenge to improve standards of living by providing basic social facilities such as health, food, electricity, reduce unemployment, provision of good roads, and discouraging gender disparity in both employment and education in developing countries can only be sustainable, if International Financial institutions reduces there interest taxes, and provide soft loans to those developing countries.