Debt relief, concessional finance can help countries meet their development goals
8 July 2025 - For years, blended finance ¡ªutilizing public development funds to attract private investment in developing countries ¡ªhas been touted as a powerful means to bridge the financing gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, with this gap currently standing at US$4 trillion, according to data from the Â鶹APP Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), blended finance is not living up to its potential. ¡°Blended finance can unlock private capital for sustainable development,¡± said UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua in opening remarks on Wednesday at a standing-room-only UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue on ¡°Reimagining Blended Finance: Aligning Capital with the SDGs,¡± held at the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, Spain. However, he noted that ¡°current models fall short of the scale, speed, and impact required. Too often, investments are concentrated in a few markets and sectors, leaving behind the countries and communities most in need.¡± He called upon members of the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB) present in Sevilla to offer ways to correct this. This dialogue was made possible by the . Read the full story here and