Global Leaders Convene at “Banking on Development” to Shape the Future of Development Finance at UNGA81

New York, 24 September 2026 — The State of Qatar, through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), together with Canada, Norway, the World Bank Group (WBG), the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), brought together global leaders for “Banking on Development” on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).
The high-level convening brought together senior representatives from governments, multilateral and regional development banks, bilateral development institutions, philanthropy and the private sector to examine how development finance can respond to growing and increasingly complex financing needs. Discussions focused on strengthening partnerships, mobilising public and private capital, enhancing coordination across institutions and regions, and advancing practical financing approaches capable of translating development priorities into tangible, scalable and sustainable impact.
H.E. Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Fund for Development, chaired the event, which opened with remarks by H.E. Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. H.E. Sheikh Thani then delivered the keynote address, followed by a special address from H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
A high-level strategic dialogue brought together The Rt. Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and H.E. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, to discuss the evolving development finance landscape and the role of investment and financing in expanding economic opportunity. The discussion explored how development finance can support job creation and livelihoods, strengthen resilience, and enable sustainable growth across developing economies.
Across the programme, sessions brought together speakers including H.E. Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, Minister of International Development of Norway; the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development) of Canada; Mr. Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank; Mr. Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean; H.E. Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Director General of QFFD; Mr. Haoliang Xu, Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme; Mr. Conor Colman, Head of Investments at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation; Ms. Joud Abdel Majeid, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of the Global Partners Office at BlackRock; and Mr. Kevin Frey, Vice President and Chief Impact Officer of Microsoft Elevate.
As part of the convening, QFFD and the Inter-American Development Bank launched the Gulf–Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Policy Paper, providing a framework for strengthening complementarities between the Gulf and Latin America and the Caribbean through deeper institutional partnerships, investment opportunities and development cooperation. The paper highlights opportunities to strengthen connectivity between institutions, markets, expertise and capital, and to translate shared strengths into stronger development and investment partnerships between the two regions.
In a further step to advance cross-regional cooperation, QFFD and CAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen regional cooperation and advance innovative financing in support of sustainable development. The agreement creates opportunities for expanded collaboration and co-financing, connecting development expertise and capital to support shared development priorities.
Together, the discussions, partnerships and new initiatives highlighted the importance of a more connected and catalytic approach to development finance, one that brings together public, private and philanthropic capital, strengthens cooperation across regions and institutions, and translates financing into jobs, livelihoods and sustainable economic opportunity.
At UNGA81, “Banking on Development” underscored the importance of collective action in addressing widening financing needs and strengthening the ability of development finance to deliver meaningful, lasting and scalable impact.

• Geography United States
• Timeline 2015