Addis Ababa, 15/7/2015: At the g7+ side event on the margin of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, speakers, and participants discussed making financing for development work in fragile and conflict affected states. The event was co-hosted by Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). More than 100 participants attended, including ministers, ambassadors, and senior officials from civil society, academic and multilateral organizations.
Participants agreed that fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) must not be left behind in global efforts to achieve the targets of reducing extreme poverty. Building on the achievements of these countries despite their challenges, there was also a recognized need to harness the potential of the private sector, support domestic resource mobilization, and strengthen responsible management of natural resources.
The challenges facing the FCAS in these areas are peculiar in nature and thus require tailored approach to address them. Participants express the needs to mainstream the principles of the New Deal for Engagement with Fragile States, in the FfD framework, and agreed that ensuring the quality and effectiveness of official development assistance should be at the forefront of the post- 2015 development agenda. Highlighting the importance of the country ownership, participants suggested that discussion of the FfD implementation start at country level and National priorities be respected and addressed by development community.