The first two sentences delivered by the U.S. representative at the 3rd session of FfD4 Preparatory Committee (3rd PrepCom) last week were already tough ones: “At the outset, I underscore that the United States is currently evaluating its membership and participation in all international organisations and processes. Thus, we are reserving on the whole draft at this time.” With this statement, the elephant in the room – the role of the new U.S. administration in the FfD negotiations – was finally addressed. And what the elephant said was unsettling: It questioned the U.S. participation altogether. (mehr …)
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Rationalising Tax Expenditures – a Core Element of Financing for Development
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) needs to address the issue of tax expenditures. These preferential tax treatments cause huge immediate public revenue losses while their effectiveness is often in doubt.
Governments worldwide use preferential tax treatments – called tax expenditures – to pursue different policy objectives, such as attracting investments, promoting employment, fighting poverty or curbing greenhouse gas emissions. (mehr …)
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Forging Consensus: Navigating Trade Controversies in the FfD4 Zero Draft
The role of international trade as a key driver for sustainable development has been a recurring theme since the First International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Monterrey, Mexico in 2022. Building on this established consensus, the “Zero Draft” of the FfD4 Outcome Document emphasizes the transformative potential of international trade in driving sustainable development, particularly for developing countries. (mehr …)
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Cumbersome but Essential – The United Nations Financing for Development Process Ahead of its 4th Conference
IDOS Blog Series on the 4th FfD Conference
The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for June 30 to July 3 in Seville, Spain, will conclude an extensive United Nations process that aims to align public and private financial flows with social, environmental, and economic goals. (mehr …)
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UNCCD COP 16: Another setback for multilateral environmental and resource protection
Photo by Aris Sanjaya/CIFOR-ICRAF, www.cifor-icraf.org/event/cifor-icraf-at-unccd-cop16/
Oops, it’s happened again: after the CBD, an important negotiation process has now also failed in the UNCCD, known in Germany as the Desertification Convention – a multilateral agreement to combat the consequences of drought. (mehr …)