IFAD and the Donor Platform at the 2026 ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum

IFAD and the Donor Platform at the 2026 ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum

When: 20 April 2026 – 24 April 2026

Where: UN New York HQ

FfD Forum Programme

The 2026 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-Up (FfD Forum) – a key mechanism of the Financing for Development process, will be held on 20-24 April 2026. It builds on the momentum of the landmark Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development held in June 2025 in Seville, Spain and plays a pivotal role in mobilizing engagement and driving concrete actions under the Seville Commitment.

This year’s Forum assumes added importance in mobilizing momentum and concrete solutions following the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), where the Agri-PDB Platform organized a side event focused on the role of Public Development Banks and partners in transforming food systems and advancing the SDGs (to read more, please click here). The 2026 Forum will feature in-depth reviews of four action areas – on Domestic and International Private Business and Finance, International Trade as an Engine for Development, International Financial Architecture and Systemic Issues, and Data, Monitoring and Follow-up, as well as Special focus on Debt and Debt Sustainability, International Development Cooperation and Development Effectiveness, and Domestic Public Resources. The FfD Forum will also be accompanied by the SDG Investment Fair, Special High-level Meetings and the Fin4Dev Dialogues.

IFAD will engage in the FfD Forum through the NYLO Office and considering the following objectives:

• Continuing to shape and influence the global Financing for Development debate – as a follow up to FFD4 – by bringing a rural-focused perspective to key discussions, ensuring that the needs of small-scale producers and rural economies remain central to the FFD outcomes.
• Showcase IFAD’s unique value proposition—its specialized expertise in rural transformation, inclusive financing, and last mile delivery—highlighting evidence of scalable, high impact investments.
• Contribute to global momentum on financing sustainable development by presenting concrete solutions on blended finance, adaptation funding, and leveraging partnerships to reach underserved rural communities.
• Reinforce IFAD’s role as a trusted implementer of innovative financing models and climate resilient rural development, strengthening alliances with Member States, UN partners, and financial institutions.

Planned participation

IFAD NYLO will take part in plenary sessions, side events as well as the SDG Investment Fair and is co-organizing two side events:

Side Event: Financing Institutions’ Roundtable: Bridging Global and Local Finance for economic transformation at the first mile

When: Monday 20 April, 8.30 – 9.45 EST | 14:30 – 15:45 CEST

Where: IFAD NY Liaison Office, 866 UN Plaza, Suite 249, New York and Zoom (Register here for online and in person participation)

In collaboration with the Agricultural Public Development Banks Platform and the Finance in Common Initiative, and in response to the Seville Commitment, this roundtable will bring together multilateral development banks, DFIs, PDBs, and partners to explore practical ways to strengthen ecosystem wide collaboration. Discussions will focus on the agrifood sector and on how better coordinated financing can reach the “first mile” of rural communities. Building on leader level exchanges at the 2025 FfD4 Conference in Seville, the roundtable will share challenges and good practices for enhanced interoperability and strategic partnerships, with insights expected to inform Seville implementation efforts, IFAD’s Fourteenth Replenishment, and the G7 FiCS Special Event in April 2026.

Featured Speakers:

• Ms Federica Diamanti, Associate Vice-President, External Relations, IFAD (virtual)
• Mr Nicolas Picchiottino, Secretary-General, IDFC and Head of the Public Development Bank Unit at the French Development Agency (AFD)
• Ms Ngo Bakang Anny Caroll, Secretary General of African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA) (virtual)
• Ms Maria Dimitriadou, Special Representative to the UN and Head of Multilateral Affairs, World Bank Group
• Mr Adriano Campolina, Deputy Director ad interim, Rural transformation and gender equality division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Mr Max von Bonsdorff, Chief Partnership Officer, Head of Global and Multilateral Engagement Unit, IFAD (virtual)
• Mr Ping Yean Cheah, Senior Partnership Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Side Event: Stabilizing Agrifood Systems Amid Trade, Energy and Market Volatility, together with GDPRD

When: Wednesday 22 April 22, 8.30 – 9.45 EST | 14:30 – 15:45 CEST

Where: IFAD NY Liaison Office, 866 UN Plaza, Suite 249, New York and Zoom (Register here for online and in person participation)

Event Page

In collaboration with the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, IFAD will co‑host side event on the margins of the Financing for Development Dialogues to examine how current trade tensions, tariffs, and energy related shocks are affecting global agrifood systems. Bringing together public and private sector partners, including government officials, development finance institutions, and trade and energy experts, the discussion will explore the implications of these disruptions for food supply chains, affordability, and rural livelihoods. The session will also focus on lessons from recent shocks and how stronger coordination across trade, energy, and agricultural policy—and more cohesive financing approaches—can help strengthen the resilience of agrifood systems in an increasingly volatile global environment.

Featured Speakers:

• Mr Leonard Mizzi, Adviser Food Systems, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission (GDPRD Co-Chair) (virtual)
• Mr David Laborde, Director, Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (virtual)
• Ms Courtney Hood, Head of Office, IFAD New York Liaison Office
• Mr Maurizio Navarra, Senior Partnership Officer and Coordinator, Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (virtual)
• Mr Jim Woodhill, Director, Agrifood Systems and Futures Hub, University of Reading, and Lead of the Global Foresight4Food Initiative. Senior Advisor, Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (virtual)
• Representative from the Permanent Mission of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Nations