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Beirut - The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) announced that “Financing Sustainable Development” will be the subject of its annual conference, to be held in Beirut on 8-9 November 2018, as approved by its Board of Trustees. Over 50 international and regional organizations active in the field of environment, development and finance are expected to join.
The 11th annual report in AFED series on the state of Arab environment will be released during the conference. It identifies funding needs, gaps and challenges, and offers the best options and mechanisms to attract and use funding effectively and efficiently. The report focuses on the sources of funding available and their respective roles in helping to implement sustainable development goals, as defined by the United Nations in the context of the 2030 Agenda.
AFED has issued ten reports since 2008, covering the most important challenges facing Arab environment, such as climate change, water, energy, green economy, ecological footprint, sustainable consumption and food security. AFED reports have gained global reputation as the most reliable and independent source on environment issues in the Arab countries, and served as policy drivers across region. Recommendations of AFED reports have been reflected in government policies, mainly on climate change, water management, energy efficiency and green economy, as well as phasing out subsidies as a way to rationalize consumption and boost efficiency of nature resources.
AFED Secretary General Najib Saab said that after the problems were identified and the solutions to environmental protection and sustainable development were detailed in 10 previous reports, the new AFED report examines the sources and mechanisms for financing these solutions. More than 200 experts and researchers are working in collaboration with universities and specialized international bodies, including the World Bank, ESCWA, UN Environment, Chatham House, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development and Kuwait Fund.
Saab announced that one of the most important topics of the report and the conference is the role of fighting corruption in the financing of development. The report found that the Arab countries' losses from corruption and mismanagement amount to nearly twice as much as they need in additional investment to finance sustainable development projects. The conference will be addressed by more than 40 leading finance and development policy leaders, including World Bank Group’s Senior Vice President Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, OECD Head of Anti-Corruption Division Patrick Moulette, renowned green finance Expert Simon Zadek, Netherlands Regional Envoy for Water and Energy Security Tessa Terpstra. Also among speakers are Chairman of the Clean Energy Business Council Nasser Saidi, CEO of the Montreal Protocol Fund Eduardo Ganem, Special Envoy on SDGs and Senior Adviser to the President of the Islamic Development Bank Dr. Rami Ahmed. Director General of OPEC Fund for International Development Suleiman Herbish will deliver a special address on the Fund’s experiences in financing sustainable development in the Arab region.
The Mediterranean Center for Sustainable Consumption and Production in Barcelona will be organizing a special session, in which successful experiences from the region will be presented, in the area of financing small and medium-sized development projects.
Alongside over 30 ministers and heads of international and regional organizations, the conference will host leaders from the private sector, banks, research centers and civil society. It also hosts 40 students from Arab universities, who are members of AFED Future Environmental Leaders Forum (FELF).
For updates and more information on the conference: www.afedonline.org
For inquiries, please contact:
AFED Secretariat, Ms. Amal Al Mosharrafieh, Tel.: +961-1-321800, Fax: +961-1-321900, E-mail: amosharrafieh@afedonline.org
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