Reactions to the 2018 UN Forum on Financing for Development

United Nations, New York City - Members and experts from the Civil Society Financing for Development Group release statements at the conclusion of the 2018 Financing for Development Forum.

Commenting on forum discussions around debt relief processes for Caribbean and small islands, Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA, said:

"During the Financing for Development Forum we saw growing concern about protecting small developing islands before the next hurricane season. There is growing consensus to put in place permanent debt relief processes to protect small islands when they are hit by natural disasters. We must all act quickly as the next hurricane season begins in weeks."

Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator of the Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, stated:

"We welcome the attention that the UN FfD is giving to climate finance.  Development and climate are inextricably linked. But we are concerned that climate finance is not lumped together with official development assistance. Climate finance is not 'aid,' it is an obligation of rich countries to developing countries and must be additional to ODA."

Tove Maria Ryding, Tax Coordinator at the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), added:

"After global tax scandals such as the Paradise Papers, it’s become very evident that our global tax system is deeply flawed and full of loopholes, and we know that illicit financial flows is costing developing countries billions of dollars every year. At the Financing for Development Forum, the developing countries called for an intergovernmental UN negotiation to solve these issues, but the rich countries are still dragging their feet on this point. One is left wondering how many international tax scandals it will take, before the rich countries are ready to come to the table and negotiate global solutions to this global problem."

The Civil Society FfD Group is an open mechanism for civil society organizations and networks to engage collectively, build synergy and speak with one voice in the formal UN FfD process and all its related and interconnected spaces.

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Contact for Interviews:

Lydia Andrews, Jubilee USA Deputy Director

lydia@jubileeusa.org / (o) (202) 783-3566 x109 / (m) (847)772-2305