Kutesa urges IMF, WB to finance SDGs

Apr 21, 2015

SAM Kutesa, the United Nations General Assembly President is rallying development partners and finance ministers to fund the post-2015 development agenda

By David Lumu

 

WITH three months left for the much-anticipated for the International Conference on Financing for Development to convene, Sam Kutesa, the United Nations General Assembly President is rallying development partners and finance ministers to fund the post-2015 development agenda.

 

The international community is weaving strategies on sustainable financing the proposed new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is meant to build on the dismal progress achieved under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

 

The UN, World Bank and International Momentary Fund last week held spring meeting in Washington DC to debate options for sustainable financing of SDGs and also weed out uneven global growth.

 

According to Jean Victor Nkolo, the spokesperson of the President of the UN General Assembly, bilateral talks have also been held between Kutesa and several finance ministers, especially on how the International Conference on Financing for Development can boost SDGs.

 

Kutesa with the Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija.

Kutesa with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation of Belgium.

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Kutesa with the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The conference will take place in July from 13-16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

Kutesa also stressed the need to use data in the assessment of the progress on SDGs and planning of how to achieve this progress.

 

“He stressed that high-quality, timely and reliable data will be essential for follow-up and review of the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. Given the changing data and technology landscape, he added that “we need to draw on the assets of all actors” and strengthen the capacity of statistical institutions,” Nkolo said. 

 

Matia Kasaija, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda is among the key stakeholders that Kutesa met. The two officials, Nkolo said “discussed the importance of ensuring that the upcoming FFD Conference is successful in order to support the implementation of the new development agenda”.

 

Jim Mugunga, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance said that Kasaija led a delegation to Washington DC to among other things engage the IMF and the World Bank on several economic strategies for the befit of Uganda.

 

“The Minister will return next week and he will adequately brief the country about the outcome of his discussions with IMF, World Bank and the UN General Assembly President,” he said.

 

Nkolo said that Kutesa also held bilateral talks on SDGs with H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Bahrain H.E. Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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