Debt relief, concessional finance can help countries meet their development goals
8 July 2025 - For years, blended finance —utilizing public development funds to attract private investment in developing countries —has 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 麻豆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