Message to LG members
28.9.2012
Finland takes over the LG Presidency and plans to link innovative income with development results
As of September 1, Finland has taken over the Presidency of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development for the up-coming six months. We are truly honored having been trusted to lead this important group during these very important times when the future development agenda starts to take shape. As President we will advocate innovative financing mechanisms and broader development financing in the context of post-2015 agenda in all relevant forums.
During its tenure, Finland will carry the Leading Group’s work actively forward and maintain the Group’s character as open discussion forum that offers menu of options of innovative financing and promotes it in various development platforms such as UN, WB and EU as well as in connection to post-2015 agenda. We aim to ensure a smooth continuation of the work of the sectoral and thematic Task Forces in producing expert reports and promoting expertise on the menu of options of various mechanisms. It is also important that the currently functioning mechanisms will be reviewed and tested as regards to their cost-effectiveness and potential of replication and scaling-up for other sectors.
As the President of the LG, we are looking forward for hosting the 11th Plenary of the Leading Group in Helsinki on February 2013. Tentatively Finland proposes that the Plenary would concentrate on the following topics : 1) Food security and innovative financing (based on the forthcoming Expert Report) 2) enhancing common understanding on the innovative financing mechanism as part of broad development financing, 3) linking funds to better development results and 4) intensified global action on illicit financial flows.
Finland plans to focus on the following targets and related activities :
- clarifying and seeking common understanding of the concept of ‘ innovative financing mechanisms’ and its relationship to official development assistance (ODA) as part of the financing for development – agenda
- linking innovative financing to efficient allocation of funds as well as enhancing development results particularly on the country-level in events/policy discussion on post-2015 framework
- integrating the global action against illicit financial flows and tax havens more prominently to the Leading Group’s agenda
- showcasing the Finnish and other countries schemes of allocating funds from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to development, starting from 2013
- encourage the private sector for more active cooperation with the Leading Group
We look forward for cooperation with all the members of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development
Ms. Heidi Hautala
Minister for International Development
Finland
Le 2 octobre 2012