July 22, 2024 - The First preparatory meeting for the 4th international conference on financing for development (FfD) is taking place in Addis Ababa at Skylight Hotel from Monday, July 22-26, 2024.

The Finance Minister, H.E. Ahmed Shide opened the first preparatory meeting while Ambassador Taye Atskeselassie, Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed all participants. The conference was attended by Ministers and representatives from UN member states, UN organizations, and other regional and international organizations, civil society, and academia.

Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Li Junhua, under-secretary for the Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of FfD4 and Mr. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of ECA were among the dignitaries who attended the conference.

Following the opening session, a ministerial panel discussion was conducted and during the panel, the finance minister shared the strategies Ethiopia followed to improve domestic resource mobilization including the implementation of Home Grown Economic Reform (HGER), establishment of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, reform tax policy and administration, enhance public expenditure and crowd-in private sector participation in public investment projects. Moreover, the Minister emphasized highlighted instruments that helped mitigate debt sustainability challenges.

Minister Shide also participated in a closed ministerial meeting along with other African Finance Ministers to discuss and find common positions to influence discussions on financing for development and international tax cooperation.

It was nine years ago that the third international FFD conference was held in Addis Ababa, which yielded the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) which sets out principles and actions to sustainably finance the SDGs. This first preparatory meeting was held to review the progress and gaps in the implementation of AAAA leading up to the 4th international FfD conference, which will be held next year in Spain.