Lusaka, 26th January 2024- H.E. Ambassador Chola Milambo, on Sunday evening welcomed experts and representatives of United Nations member states to the Global South Retreat on the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). The retreat is taking place in Lusaka from 26th to 28th January 2025, co-sponsored with Project Starling and the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and the Southern African Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (SAIPAR).
Dr. Milambo highlighted the importance of the retreat in providing a platform for member states, regional organizations and stakeholders to deliberate on the outcome document of the FFD4, based on the zero draft published on 17th January 2024.
The retreat kicked off with a fireside chat in the evening of 26th January, setting the scene, context and goals for the following two days.
In officially opening the event, Mrs. Etambuyu A. Gundersen, Permanent Secretary – International and Regional Cooperation, in Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, underlined the importance of the FFD4 in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the reform of Global financial architecture. For this reason, Zambia was keen to join the global community in collectively shaping a new financial architecture that will provide hope for millions, particularly among Global South countries.
Ambassador Milambo and his fellow co-facilitators from Mexico, Nepal and Norway, will use the Global South retreat to listen to the views and priorities of the Global South as they prepare for further engagements in the forthcoming 3rd Preparatory Committee for the FFD4 taking place from 10th to 14th February 2025. The role of the co-facilitators is to ensure a balanced FFD4 Outcome Document ahead of the FFD4 conference in Seville, Spain.
The participants from member states expressed appreciation for the holding of the retreat as a dedicated session for their coordination and collaboration.
