Stay ConnectedThe UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 45 least developed countries (LDCs).
With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
Copyright: Copyright © 2021 UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline: Navigating Climate Change, a podcast series that shines a light on the women and girls leading the fight against climate change in the least developed countries.
In this episode, we explore the intersection of Women's Rights and Climate Change. Our guests discuss the importance of climate justice, highlighting its connection to human rights and social equality. Through insightful conversations with guests, the podcast explores how climate justice intersects with issues of gender, indigenous rights, and refugee communities, emphasizing the need for inclusive decision-making processes and action to address systemic inequalities.
Our Guests in this episode:
Nupur Prakash is a Gender and Law Specialist at the International Development Law Organization. She primarily focuses on supporting IDLO's work on Justice for Women and Girl through strategic development and implementation of policy advocacy, research and programming initiatives. She has over 9 years of strong thematic expertise in issues such as combatting sexual and gender-based violence, gender-responsive legal reform, feminist climate action and land rights, amongst others. Nupur has authored various publications, most recently Human Rights-Based Approaches to Public Health and Health Promotion (2023). She also contributed to the development of several IDLO publications including: Climate Justice for Women and Girls: A Rule of Law Approach to Feminist Climate (2022); Justice for Women Amidst COVID-19 (2020); Justice for Women (2019); Nupur earned her BLS and LLB degree from Government Law College, University of Mumbai and her LLM in International and Comparative Law from the George Washington University Law School.
Xiye Bastida is a 21-year-old climate justice activist based in New York City. She is an organizer with Fridays For Future and the co-founder of Re-Earth Initiative, an international youth-led organization that focuses on highlighting the intersectionality of the climate crisis. Bastida was born in Mexico and was raised as part of the Otomi-Toltec Indigenous community. For the first climate strike in March 2019, she mobilized 600 students from her school and has taken a citywide leadership role in organizing climate strikes.
Daniela Soberón Garreta is a dedicated advocate for climate change, human rights, and renewable energy transition. Holding a Bachelor of Law from the Universidad del Pacífico, her expertise lies in critical analysis and a strong commitment to fairness. Specializing in climate change and renewable energy, she ensures alignment with international human rights standards and advocates for indigenous peoples' rights within the InterAmerican System.
Fatma Moulay is a Saharawi climate activist and human rights defender. She has worked both politically and socially to advocate for human rights, gender equality, and youth employment. She has started business ventures in her community to improve the lives of Saharawi refugees and participated in campaigns to promote peace and a sustainable future.
A show of this quality would not be possible without the incredible talent of Sarah Harris-Simpson, as well as the extraordinary and persistent support of Sorina Crisan and Eda Isik.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline: Navigating Climate Change, a podcast series that shines a light on the women and girls leading the fight against climate change in the least developed countries.
In this episode, we look at women and climate policy: advocating for Gender-Sensitive Solutions and Inclusive Decision-Making. This episode focused on the role of women in shaping climate policy. It examines the ways in which women are advocating for more gender-sensitive climate policies and working to ensure that their voices are heard in the decision-making process.
Our Guests in this episode:
Anju Sharma, is an experienced manager, researcher, writer, and editor with over 20 years of expertise in sustainable development, particularly in Asia. She showcases an extensive background in policy research, advocacy, and information curation related to sustainability. Committed to alleviating poverty while preserving the environment, Anju specializes in areas such as climate change mitigation, natural resource management, air pollution, and civil society engagement. Her work embodies a dedicated pursuit of sustainable and equitable society.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jusharma/
Joelle Hangi is a refugee currently residing in Kenya, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Joelle has worked in different research capacities with UNHCR Africa Office, Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, University of Geneva’s Human Rights Department, amongst other humanitarian organizations. All with a focus on improving and enabling refugee agency, autonomy, and rights. Currently, she is one of the 12 fellows of the inaugural RSC-BIEA Fellowship, which brings together early career researchers interested in matters of forced displacement. She also served as an Ashden judge for the Humanitarian Energy award. Her research interests include humanitarian aid, development aid particularly, the provision of and access to clean energy in displacement settings.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelle-hangi/
(E) Lisa (F) Schipper is Professor of Development Geography at the University of Bonn. Her work focuses on adaptation to climate change in the Global South, and looks at gender, religion and culture to understand what drives vulnerability. Lisa has lived and worked in Central and South America, East and West Africa and South and Southeast Asia. She was Co-ordinating Lead Author of Chapter 18 of the Working Group 2 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (‘Climate Resilient Development Pathways’) that was published in February 2022. She is co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Climate and Development (Taylor and Francis) and member of the editorial board of the journals World Development Perspectives (Elsevier) and Global Transitions: Health Transitions (KeAi). She also serves as Contributing Editor of the Carbon Brief.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-lisa-f-schipper-5638779/
A show of this quality would not be possible without the incredible talent of Sarah Harris-Simpson, as well as the extraordinary and persistent support of Sorina Crisan and Eda Isik.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline: Navigating Climate Change, a podcast series that shines a light on the women and girls leading the fight against climate change in the least developed countries.
In the previous episodes, we journeyed to The Gambia, meeting women with grand solutions for climate crisis adaptation, and emphasized the importance of women's leadership. Today, one critical issue is in focus: Education. United Nations studies reveal that despite being in the 21st century, the world is still far from achieving universal education. Limitations are especially pronounced for girls and quality is a significant issue, a 'learning crisis' as termed by the World Bank.
We explore whether more formally educated women will result in more women leaders. However, our spotlight veers towards non-formal education, as guided by our interviewees, diverging via two primary channels: the arts and media.
Our Guests in this episode:
Shelot Masithi. She is a 24-year old environmental activist from South Africa. She is the founder of She 4 Earth, a climate school educating children and youths of African descent about climate change, shifting from carbon-centric climate change to include water scarcity, climate migration/displacements, food insecurity, and the psychology encompassing these global problems. Redesigning education to equip the younger generation for a Net Zero Future. Her work is centered on Ubuntu. She's a volunteer at Force of Nature, Climate Psychology Alliance, and Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands. Shelot is also an entrepreneur. An author. She loves hiking.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelot-masithi
Rahma Diaa. A freelance journalist and trainer & Founder of Climate school initiative. Rahma is particularly interested in covering climate crises and sustainability. she graduated from the Faculty of mass communication, journalism department at Cairo University in 2012, and got a diploma in Media Translation from (AUC) in 2018. she has been a journalist since 2009, and has worked for Dostor, Tahrir, and Aswat Masriya- Reuters. she currently collaborates with Arab and foreign media, including Scientific American magazine, VICE, Raseef 22, and ARIJ. she received ten awards, most recently of them, "Emerging journalist" award from covering climate now, 2021& Cairo climate talks award in 2023.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahma-diaa-00777a137/
A show of this quality would not be possible without the incredible talent of Sarah Harris-Simpson, as well as the extraordinary and persistent support of Sorina Crisan and Eda Isik.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline: Navigating Climate Change in the LDCs, a podcast series that shines a light on the women and girls leading the fight against climate change in the least developed countries.
This episode explores the role of women in environmental leadership. It showcases the work of women who have made a significant impact on the environment and discuss the challenges they face as women in the field.
Our Guests in this episode:
Patu Ndango Fen. She is a dedicated environmental entrepreneur from Cameroon, leading significant initiatives focused on transforming bio-waste into fertilizers. She founded Closed Loop System Ventures, an enterprise specializing in manufacturing organic fertilizers from bio-waste, and co-founded the Youth Environmental Alliance for Sustainable Development.
linkedin.com/in/patu-ndango-fen-41191167
Verania Chao. Programme Specialist - Climate, Gender and Inclusion at UNDP. An expert in gender, climate, and environment issues at UNDP, focusing on the integration of gender equality and women's empowerment into national planning and capacity-building processes, she is currently spearheading the work on gender-responsive NDC revision and implementation as part of the Climate Strategies and Policy team at UNDP.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/verania-chao-9a3423/
A show of this quality would not be possible without the incredible talent of Sarah Harris-Simpson, as well as the extraordinary and persistent support of Sorina Crisan and Eda Isik.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Welcome to a brand new episode on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made the headlines, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline: Navigating Climate Change in the LDCs, a podcast series that shines a light on the women and girls leading the fight against climate change in the least developed countries.
This episode is an introduction to the topic of women and climate change. It covers the reasons why women are disproportionately affected by climate change and why they need to be included in the conversation.
A show of this quality would not be possible without the incredible talent of Sarah Harris-Simpson, as well as the extraordinary and persistent support of Sorina Crisan and Eda Isik.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Don't miss the debut of Capital Musings: Women and Girls on the Climate Change Frontline!
Tune in to our first episode this Friday, 22 September, where we spotlight courageous women trailblazing paths in climate action in The Gambia.
Get inspired, gain insights, and join the powerful conversation around gender and climate change. Make sure to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Please spread the word about this new show on social media mentioning #CapitalMusings, and share the news with colleagues and friends!
Let's shape a sustainable and gender-equitable future together!
Welcome to a brand new episode on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made the headlines, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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👉 Tap the album art for the Capital Musings podcast.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Welcome to a brand new series on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made the headlines, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
👉 Tap the blue Search key at the bottom right.
👉 Tap the album art for the Capital Musings podcast.
👉 Tap the Reviews tab.
👉 Tap Write a Review at the bottom.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In the third episode of the Digital@theLastMile podcast, we highlight the importance of developing the digital skills of women and youth in least developed countries. From Africa to the Pacific, we explore some of our programmes and their impact on individuals and communities. When people understand how digital technology and services work, they are more likely to trust them and use them effectively and make informed decisions. By investing in digital skills, UNCDF believes that it can help build more resilient and sustainable communities, drive economic growth and promote inclusive digital economies.
Website: https://podcast.uncdf.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #Remittances #Nepal #mobilewallet #Women #SDG5
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Welcome to Milestones, a series on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events related to UNCDF's initiatives. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made the headlines, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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👉 Tap the album art for the Capital Musings podcast.
👉 Tap the Reviews tab.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Welcome to a brand new series on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made the headlines, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
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👉 Tap the album art for the Capital Musings podcast.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Welcome to a brand new series on the Capital Musings podcast where we continue to explore fresh ideas that make finance work for the least developed countries. If you're constantly looking to stay up to date on the latest, impactful news and events. You're in the right place!
Today's episode of Capital Musings Milestones recaps the most noteworthy moments of the past month in a concise podcast.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button to keep yourself in the loop. In today's episode, we'll cover a wide range of topics that have made headlines in March, reflecting the ongoing efforts to create a better and more sustainable world.
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
👉 Tap the Search tab.
👉 Enter the name, Capital Musings
👉 Tap the blue Search key at the bottom right.
👉 Tap the album art for the Capital Musings podcast.
👉 Tap the Reviews tab.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
The Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland, and one of the least developed countries in the world, has been going through a transition to full democracy since 2017, the end of a two-decade long dictatorship.
In the first episode of a mini-series recorded in The Gambia, Conor Lennon talks to Niania Dabo-Tourey, the country head of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF, one of several UN agencies accompanying the country on this journey), about the ways they are supporting rural communities to adapt to the climate crisis, learn the skills they will need to start new businesses, and grow the economy in a sustainable way.
Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa
Audio Credit UN News/ Conor Lennon
Audio 16'40"
Photo Credit UN News/ Hisae Kawamori
Learn More:
https://news.un.org/en/audio/2023/03/1133667
Learn More about 'The Lid is On" Podcast:
https://news.un.org/en/audio-product/podcast-the-lid-is-on
In this second episode of Digital@TheLastMile limited series, we highlight UNCDF's collaboration with IME Pay, a leading mobile wallet provider, to facilitate digital remittances for women in Nepal.
Remittances are a critical component of Nepal's economy. In 2020, IME Pay streamlined its international remittance and mobile wallet services to enable customers to receive international remittance transfers directly into their mobile wallets. In this episode, experts will delve into the benefits of digital remittances, particularly for migrant families and women, and how UNCDF and IME Pay partnered to refine the wallet and drive digital adoption through market scans and transaction data analytics.
Website: https://podcast.uncdf.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #Remittances #Nepal #mobilewallet #Women #SDG5
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this first episode of Digital@TheLastMile limited series, you will hear women entrepreneurs talking about two apps developed by Fintech companies in Bangladesh and Cambodia. The Fintech featured participated in the Women MSMEs FinTech Innovation Challenge Fund launched in 2019. The objective of the challenge was to tailor digital financial services for women entrepreneurs in Asia and the Pacific. The challenge fund was implemented by UNCDF in partnership with UNESCAP and was generously supported by the Australian Government, the government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and Visa.
Websites: https://podcast.uncdf.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #Bangladesh #Cambodia #Fintech #Women #SDG5
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, David Mikhail talks with Neha Mehta, Regional Lead for the Pacific and Papua New Guinea at UNCDF, about bringing women entrepreneurs, SMEs, and small store owners into the financial blankets in the Pacific.
Neha emphasises the significance of providing training in digital literacy and financial literacy to female business owners. She also discusses the use of tokenization and blockchain technology to evaluate creditworthiness using non-traditional data sources and cutting-edge data analysis techniques.
Websites: https://www.uncdf.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #COP27
Thanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning #CapitalMusings, or leave us a review on iTunes.
Reviews are hugely important because they help new people discover our podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here’s how:
👉 Launch Apple's Podcast app.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, David Mikhail talks with Krishnan Narasimhan, Programme Manager at UNCDF, about parametric insurance. Krishnan explains how UNCDF employs a market development strategy to inspire private companies to offer cutting-edge insurance innovations to emerging markets in the Pacific.
Krishnan describes how the first parametric insurance product in the Pacific was introduced by UNCDF following extensive consultation with local partners and stakeholders. He talks about how, over the past few years, UNCDF has been working to develop digital delivery models, offering technical advisory services and blended financing to de-risk capital through grants, loans, and guarantees. This has allowed the organisation to contribute to the growth of ecosystems that can stimulate underdeveloped markets in providing climate insurance solutions to their constituents.
Websites: https://www.uncdf.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #COP27
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Le Secrétaire général de l'OMVG, M. Ababacar NDAO, évoque les moyens d'investir dans la paix à travers la gestion des ressources en eau, ainsi que les différentes manières de promouvoir l'eau en tant qu'instrument de coopération et de paix, notamment par le biais de financements innovants pour la coopération dans le domaine de l'eau. Il discute également comment des mécanismes de financement innovants peuvent transformer l'eau en un instrument pour des cadres de coopération transfrontaliers, multisectoriels et intergénérationnels, menant à des sociétés pacifiques et des économies circulaires. Cette approche de l'investissement à impact n'a jamais été adoptée auparavant.
Websites: https://www.pe-omvg.org
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, conducts an interview with Mr Anouj Mehta, Head of the ASEAN Catalytic Green Facility and ADB Country Director in Thailand, and Mr Ghislain de Valon, Senior Infrastructure Specialist for Innovation and Green Finance, from the Asian Development Bank. They discuss ways to increase investments in ocean-based economies that are environmentally sustainable. The implementation of "blue finance" strategies is one way to increase investments in the fight against climate change and the creation of a sustainable economy based on the ocean.
Websites: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #SaveOurOcean
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, H.E. Ms Ana Paula Baptista Grade Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations, discusses the compelling case for holding the Ocean Conference in Lisbon in late June 2022, citing that by working together, we can protect our oceans and improve the quality of life for people all over the world, and calls for action to strengthen partnerships.
Websites: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #SaveOurOcean
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this new series, our host Edoardo Tancioni shares innovative approaches to boost investments for a sustainable blue economy and protect our oceans in the lead-up to the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, at the end of June 2022.
In this episode, Edoardo talks about Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their centrality to leveraging the development impact of capital for sustainable ocean-based economies. SIDS are not "poor and remote places," but rather valuable centres of marine biodiversity, living fossils, and hotspots of ocean-based ecosystem services like tourism, fishing grounds, and shipping lanes. This episode aims to raise awareness of this fact among investors, fund managers, and the general public. We hope to facilitate conversation between potential investors and government officials.
Websites: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #SaveOurOcean
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, concludes the mini-series of Deciphering Doha and the Road to Doha season by discussing debt sustainability, remittances and the extension of international support measures to LDCs for sustainable and irreversible graduation.
Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Co-Founder and Principal at Blue Haven Initiative. Liesel talks about her journey to #impactinvesting and shares tips on how investors can make wealth work for profit and for purpose.
Websites: Blue Haven Initiative
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #impactinvesting
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this miniseries, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the first part of chapter 6 of the #DPoA around mobilizing international solidarity, reinvigorated partnerships and innovative tools, looking into support for domestic resource mobilization and fight against illicit financial flows, international public and external finance to contribute to sustainable development in LDCs and Foreign Direct Investment.
Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the fifth chapter of the Doha Programme of Action around addressing #climatechange, environmental degradation, recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and building resilience against future shocks for risk-informed sustainable development.
Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA | #LDCs | #climatechange
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this miniseries, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the Doha Programme of Action #DPoA for the Least Developed Countries, delving into how we can enhance international #trade and regional integration over the next decade.
Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this mini-series, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, deciphers the third chapter of the Doha Programme of Action (#DPoA), delving into the four action areas to reach structural transformation: productive capacity development; infrastructure development; connecting to global and regional value chains, strengthening their services economy and trade, and; support private sector development.
Websites: www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #DPoA
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
Continuing on the celebrations for Women’s History Month, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews Jenny Hedman, Policy Analyst at the OECD Gender team and Coordinator of the DAC GENDERNET, who shares how gender-lens investing can protect and advance girls’ and women’s rights and gender equality.
To celebrate Women’s History Month #WHM, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews Angela Mwai, Chief, Human Rights and Social Inclusion Unit at UN-Habitat. Angela shares how gender-transformative climate-smart solutions can drive sustainable urban development, stressing the importance of putting communities first to promote inclusion and resilience for the people we serve.
Websites: www.unhabitat.org
Hashtags: #CapitalMusings | #WHM
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
To celebrate Women’s History Month #WHM, our host Edoardo Tancioni chats with Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2XCollaborative, who shares what gender-focused investing is and the benefits it brings to underserved communities in emerging markets. Tune it to learn more about some easy wins that may bridge ambitions with real results on the ground. For Women, With Women, By Women.
Websites: criterioninstitute.org | www.2xcollaborative.org
Hashtags: #capitalmusings | #WHM
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this episode, our host, Edoardo Tancioni, celebrates #IWD2022 with Rekik Bekele, CEO of Green Scene Energy, an Ethiopia-based company providing women-headed households in rural areas with access to affordable, reliable and clean sources of electricity. Rekik shares her company’s journey towards a business model that works for the last-mile and empowers young female entrepreneurs to speak up and seek mentorship to reach their goals.
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Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with the support of the UN Web TV.
In this miniseries, our host Edoardo Tancioni deciphers the second chapter of the draft Doha programme of action around science, technology and innovation, stressing its powerful potential to leverage the fight against multidimensional vulnerabilities and achieve the 2030 Agenda
In this miniseries, our host Edoardo Tancioni deciphers the first chapter of the draft Doha programme of action around investing in people in the LDCs, highlighting their unique agency and leadership around eradicating poverty and leave no one behind.
This week, our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews H.E. Mr. Lamin Dibba, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources of The Gambia, who talks about how the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) mechanism helps facilitate access and availability of financing for climate adaptation at the local level.
In this brief series, our host Edoardo Tancioni walks us through the main elements of the Draft Doha Programme of Action, starting with how the introductory remarks set the stage for what will be the key priorities for LDCs over the next decade.
Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Professor Kunal Sen, Director of UNU WIDER. Prof. shares how research can transform economies, states, and societies, and how the international community at large can help the LDCs address their structural inequalities and unique vulnerabilities for the Decade of Action.
Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Hanifah Nnamutebi, General Manager of BM Energy (BME), a start-up working on energy-saving solutions in rural areas in Uganda. Hanifah shares her passion towards empowering youth and women to believe in their dreams and venture into unfamiliar and challenging businesses.
Our host Edoardo Tancioni interviews 23-year-old Afruza Tanzi from Protibha, a social enterprise creating livelihood opportunities for rural women in Bangladesh. Afruza shares her vision for women’s economic empowerment in emerging economies, and stresses the importance of nurturing talents to build forward better.
In this episode, Edoardo Tancioni interviews Fahad Ifaz, CEO of iFarmer, a startup working on democratizing agriculture financing and supply chain in Bangladesh. Fahad shares his vision for “the future of food” and talks about the indirect effects in emerging economies at large of investing sustainably in small businesses.
A story of friendship, resilience, capital, and Southern ownership. Our host, Edoardo Tancioni, interviews Washikala Malango, CO-Founder, and CEO of Altech Group (ww.altech-drc.com), who shares how to turn a problem you have experienced first-hand into an opportunity for your local community and your people.
This week, our new host, Edoardo Tancioni, meets Richard Zulu, Founding Partner and Lead at Outbox. Richard shares his journey towards investing in #youth, and his passion towards building a sense of community and growing local talent to co-identify opportunities for sustainable change in LDCs.
This week we meet Rose Twine, Director of EcoGroup Uganda, diving into the multifaceted dimensions of renewable energy, and how important affordability, community engagement, and policy environments are to accessing clean energy for all.
In this episode, Matthew Roberts-Davies, COO & Co-Founder (Thundafund Africa) shares his experience working in emerging markets with Thundafund.com. He defines loyalty, personalization, capital, and partnerships as unique enablers to innovation, and talks about the importance of fully engaging vibrant and youthful populations to bring new ideas to life.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). from their flagship series: "Blended Finance in the LDCs, 2020: Supporting a Resilient Covid-19 Recovery." The third edition of the Blended Finance in the LDCs report series acknowledges that least developed countries are not able to harness the full potential of blended finance, defined in the report as the strategic use of development finance to mobilise commercial finance towards the SDGs, with a focus on unlocking investment that the private sector would not have done on its own.
We had the opportunity to hear from three of the authors—UNCDF's Laura Sennett, and the OECD's Valentina Bellesi and Faty Dembele—who discussed the findings of the report as well as its recommendations for how LDCs can benefit from blended finance to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery in the post-pandemic period.
Amb. Robert Rae, Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, discusses his distinguished career in domestic politics, why it’s important for civil society to participate in UN discussions, and his dream goal for the UN.
In the context of COP26, today’s podcast is dedicated to the least developed countries. By now, the year 2021 has seen a familiar pattern of destructive impacts stemming from climate change, leading to increasingly devastating extreme weather events including fires, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, and droughts across the world.
Taffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.
Jodi Smith, a film industry vet who now works to source and grow investments with positive environmental impact in Fiji, talks about her path from linguistics to film to business development.
Paul Klein, Founder and President of Impakt, explains how his background as a guitarist and arts administrator led to a career in social entrepreneurship and impact consulting, helping corporations and businesses try to solve some of society’s biggest problems. His new book, “Change for Good,” shares lessons for aspiring social entrepreneurs and change agents.
Esala Masitabua, Deputy Governor of Fiji’s Reserve Bank, speaks about blue and green bonds, the national financial inclusion plan, parametric insurance, and the factors that have made Fiji a regional and global leader in innovative climate finance.
Charlotte Ronje, Founder and CEO of Jamii.one, describes the business case for providing financial services to poor savers and what she sees as the path to scale.
In today's podcast, Thomas Handler, Partner in Handler Thayer LLC, speaks about the challenges in establishing businesses, stewardship of wealth, work ethics, income inequality in America and how to achieve economic and professional success.
Dingi Chirwa, Founder and CEO of Kombeza Foods in Malawi, explains how her desire to make baby food for her child and her father’s retirement purchase of dairy cows led her to found a dairy processing business; and how support from UNDP and Norway and a concessional loan from UNCDF helped set her on the road to success.
Taiwo Okwor of the Africa Finance Corporation explains how its infrastructure investments can de-risk and attract private sector capital to meet the critical infrastructure needs of the African continent.
Michelle Reddy of the Fiji Women’s Fund explains how the pandemic and climate change are exacerbating the challenges faced by women in Fiji, and how her fund is helping to make change.
Two Swedish development experts, Anders Ronquist of Sida and Anders Berlin of UNCDF, explain how Swedish history and society have shaped the government’s generous and innovative approach to using development assistance to fight poverty worldwide. They explore their own careers and experiences to showcase various ways to pursue a career in international development finance.
Elizabeth Howard of the African Crowdfunding Association explains the potential of crowdfunding to support businesses and accelerate growth on the continent.
Author Janine Firpo discusses her varied career in tech, microfinance and international development and explains how her new book Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World lays out a road map for women to empower themselves about investing and the impact they can have with their resources.
Family office advisor Carol Pepper describes how studying philosophy led her to Wall Street; how the Internet helped create the modern family office; and why high net worth families are increasingly interested in climate change, social justice, and the SDGs.
Impact investing expert Aunnie Patton Power discusses her new book “Adventure Capital: How to Create a Funding Journey That Blends Profit and Purpose” and shares ideas for how venture capital can work better for both funders and social entrepreneurs.
Taffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.
Ashish Patel of Aavishkaar Capital explains how the experience of running multiple private equity funds in India is shaping the company’s investment strategy for East Africa.
Dia Martin, Managing Director of the US Development Finance Corporation, explains how it invests in solutions to some of the developing world’s most critical challenges.
Today, we speak with Henning Ringholz, Senior Executive at the Small Foundation, an Ireland-based foundation working to end extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Henning speaks about systems change and strengthening business ecosystems for African entrepreneur and how to make a difference while being small.
Democracy expert Marcus Brand talks about his career building democracy from the Balkans to Ukraine to Myanmar, explains why SDG 16 is so critical, and describes the situation in Myanmar.
Authors Meg Massey, writer and social sector strategist and the founder of Sanspeur, and Ben Wrobel, director of communications at Village Capital, discuss how traditional philanthropy entrenches some of the very power dynamics it tries to address, and how involving beneficiaries in decision-making leads to more effective donations and a promising new model of impact investing.
This week we speak with Vicky Lay, Managing Director Artesian Venture Partners, who sold a tech company and then joined the VC firm that funded her. Vicky talks about her passion for gender equality, the financial advantage of investing in women, and why much more than mentoring is needed to get more women and diverse leaders into top roles.
In this episode, we speak with Malin Malmström of Lulea University of Technology in Sweden, who studies investment decision-making, explains how structural bias in the language used and screening processes of asset allocators hurts female founders, and what we can do to break down the barriers.
In today's episode, Esther Pan Sloane speaks with two UN powerhouses. Ambassador Anna-Karin Enestrom of Sweden and Ambassador Yoka Brandt of the Netherlands discuss what got them into diplomacy, how the UN is critical to SDG achievement, how they handled challenging posts, and what young people considering a career in diplomacy should know.
Kerry Bannigan, founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, talks about the environmental and social damage caused by a culture of constant consumption, and the innovative ways consumers and producers are pushing the fashion industry to help achieve the SDGs.
Today we are speaking with Rob Tashima, Chief Growth Officer of Village Capital, where he discusses its unique model of giving entrepreneurs have more say in the process of allocating capital.
In this episode, we speak with Chris Walker, Social Innovations Director at Mercy Corps, who describes how starting a donor-funded venture capital fund has given the nonprofit sector more options to achieve its goals. He shares his wide experience in government, private sector and the non-profit sectors to grow the impact investment space.
Laura Sennett, Policy Specialist at UNCDF, speaks with Esther Pan Sloane about international development finance, blended finance, concessional finance and additionality. She describes her time working in Africa, the benefits of being close to the action, and explains how learning other languages changed her life.
The argument persists that markets are inherently efficient and consistently rational. If investments in women-led businesses and into funds managed by women generate better results, why is there little progress in directing more capital to them? What can investors, advisors, and asset owners do to increase the flow of finance to female entrepreneurs and fund managers?
Guests:
• Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN
• Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary, UNCDF
• Sonia Gardner, Goodwill Ambassador, UNCDF and President, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the Avenue Capital Group
• Sandy Urie, Chairman Emeritus of Cambridge Associates
• Malin Malmstrom, Luleå University of Technology, LTU, Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences (ETS), Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Moderator: Esther Pan Sloane, Head of Partnerships, Policy and Communications, UNCDF
The term "digital economy" will soon become a redundancy, because economies will be largely, if not entirely, digital. But how can we ensure that digital economies are also inclusive and resilient? Three practices leaders in UNCDF's Policy Accelerator Team--Ahmed Dermish, Olivia Kelly-Lonkeu and Amani Itatiro--discuss the importance and complexity behind supporting policy ecosystems that ensure digital economies are inclusive versus exclusive, particularly in the world's least developed countries.
Esther Pan Sloane is speaking with Eva Yazhari, CEO of the Beyond Capital fund, co-host of the Beyond Capital podcast, founder of the Conscious Investor magazine, and author of the book The Good Your Money Can Do. In this episode, we talk about the biggest obstacles to investors considering investing in the least developed countries. We also review the concept of conscious leadership and stakeholder capitalism, and whether a hundred percent impact portfolio approach is feasible or desirable.
Saadia Madsbjerg, former Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation and co-author with Judith Rodin, former president The Rockefeller Foundation president, of Making Money Moral: How a New Wave of Visionaries is Linking Purpose and Profit speaks about how The Rockefeller Foundation helped start the impact investing industry and her views on the rapid growth and future of the field.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the UN Capital Development Fund recently a released a critical joint publication that provides guidance to local and national governments on how to manage assets relating to public infrastructure investments. Ahead of this year's Finance for Development Forum (FfD), we invited four contributors of the handbook to the podcast to discuss the publication and to explain why infrastructure asset management is essential to SDG achievement.
Sabine Mensah, UNCDF regional digital lead for West Africa, explains how digitization benefits entrepreneurs, consumers, governments and small businesses across the region.
Ambassador Perks Ligoya, Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations and leader of the LDC Group, explains why foreign direct investment, official development assistance, innovative financing mechanisms and productive capacity are critical for helping the world’s Least Developed Countries achieve their SDG ambitions.
Esther Pan Sloane speaks with Jenny Abramson of Rethink Impact about the opportunity presented by women-led businesses; her investment thesis; what’s holding up progress; and what needs to be done to get more funds flowing to female founders.
Michael J. McCord of Milliman and Abhisheik Dhawan of UNCDF discuss the potential for innovative insurance products to reduce climate risk and help increase financing for developing country cities.
On February 15th, UNCDF announced that Preeti Sinha has commenced her tenure as its Executive Secretary. In taking the helm as the highest-ranking leader in the organization, she will lead UNCDF in its mandate to unlock public and private finance for the LDCs.
With 30 years of global experience spanning investment and development finance, Executive Sinha will lead UNCDF's effort to harness the untapped growth potential of the world's least developed countries, while leading our COVID-response efforts. She sat down with UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane to discuss her vision for how to make capital markets work for the world's underserved communities, and how capital can be a force for purpose in the world.
#9 Faith, Social Justice and Money with Marvin Owens—Getting Resources to the Communities that Need them Most.
In this episode, Esther Pan Sloane speaks with the Reverend Marvin Owens, Chief Engagement Officer for Impact Shares, about the NAACP, community organizing, the role of faith in advocating for social justice, and why economic independence is critical for minority communities.
Investing in Nature’s Capital: How Capital Markets Can Value Natural Resources and Help LDCs
Alejandro Litovsky, CEO and Founder of Earth Security, discusses how creating ways to invest in natural ecosystems can transform capital markets and help LDCs reach their economic and development goals.
About 20 years ago, UNCDF's footprint in Uganda consisted of one person sitting at a single desk in another agency's office. Today, that one person—Jenifer Bukohke Wakuhugu—is the Deputy Head of UNCDF's Uganda Office, our largest in-country footprint with approximately 40 people. And Jenifer continues to teach UNCDF how to "Remain in Class."
We were fortunate enough to have Jenifer Bukohke Wakuhugu sit down with us to share her UNCDF journey as well as how UNCDF has had to respond in short order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as importantly, she will share what it means to "remain in class."
Sustainable finance signifies the potential for investment opportunities to yield both a return on investment and progress in a variety of important social areas; including environmental sustainability, financial inclusion, women's economic empowerment and racial equality. But what tools, strategies and innovations will we need to ensure that we maximize the full potential of sustainable finance?
UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane spoke with Karen Fang, Global Head of Sustainable Finance with Bank of America, to hear her views on the future of sustainable finance, how BoA has committed to sustainability and how her industry is changing with regard to how it views sustainability.
Last October, UNCDF named the investment management industry leader and philanthropist Sonia Gardner as Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality in Access to Finance—making her the first goodwill ambassador in the 50+ year history of UNCDF.
In her role, Ms. Gardner will focus on advocating for ways to give women access to economic resources, including the capital they need to start and grow businesses, lift their families out of poverty, and in doing so, help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane interviewed Sonia about her professional journey as a pioneer of alternative investments, the challenges women face in reaching leadership positions in the financial sector, and her motivations for joining UNCDF as Goodwill Ambassador.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). from their flagship series: "Blended Finance in the LDCs, 2020: Supporting a Resilient Covid-19 Recovery." The third edition of the Blended Finance in the LDCs report series acknowledges that least developed countries are not able to harness the full potential of blended finance, defined in the report as the strategic use of development finance to mobilise commercial finance towards the SDGs, with a focus on unlocking investment that the private sector would not have done on its own.
We had the opportunity to hear from three of the authors—UNCDF's Laura Sennett, and the OECD's Valentina Bellesi and Faty Dembele—who discussed the findings of the report as well as its recommendations for how LDCs can benefit from blended finance to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery in the post-pandemic period.
In late 2018, UNCDF embarked on an unprecedented journey--the creation of the first ever UN-exchange traded fund (ETF). The non-profit ETF sponsor, Impact Shares, launched the Sustainable Development Goals Global Equity ETF (NYSE Arca: SDGA) in collaboration with UNCDF. The ETF would enable investments that support the achievement of the SDGs, while reflecting the importance of the LDC markets and UNCDF's efforts to increase transformative private sector investments to ensure that we leave no one behind.
In the two years between the launch of the ETF and now, what have we learned about leveraging private capital to advance SDG achievement, notably in last mile markets? And what are the lessons that institutional and impact investors can use to make their capital more impactful, particularly in the age of Covid? The CEO of Impact Shares, Ethan Powell, joins Capital Musings to share his views and answers.
"The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism"--one of the critical themes of this year's UN General Assembly, marking the 75th anniversary of the UN. From confronting the COVID-19 pandemic to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, multilateralism is an irreplaceable element of success. UNCDF's commitment to multilateralism is reflected in its partnership with the European Union in many workstreams of sustainable development; and in particular, driving youth financial inclusion in the world's poorest and least developed countries.
This episode of Capital Musings features a roundtable discussion of thought and practice leaders from UNCDF and the European Union, describing in detail how we are collaborating in five least developed countries to support financial inclusion for youth; in the process, demonstrating the power and importance of multilateralism as we enter the Decade of Action for implementation of the SDGs.
2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. As the UN looks to deliver a future that is anchored in universality, indivisibility and integration, an important question has emerged: what UN will we need in order to deliver the future we want?
On Episode 18 of Capital Musings, we pose this question to Mounir Ibrahim—who references his experience as a U.S. diplomat working in Syria, a member of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations under Ambassador Samantha Power, and as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with Truepic, the digital photo and video verification platform that is involved in sustainable projects as well as documenting COVID-19 in conflict zones—provides his answer to this question.
The reckoning taking place in the United States is both historic and undeniable. One of the drivers of this conversation revolves around the racial wealth gap in the U.S. Understanding the causes behind this gap is essential to achieving racial progress in the United States, but how can we broaden this understanding to address structural barriers to economic equity in least developed countries?
Peter Lupoff, CEO of Net Impact, a mission-driven organization with 150,000 members, is our guest for Episode 17 of Capital Musings. He provides his views on the nature of the U.S.'s racial wealth gap and how it speaks to the importance of impact investment, both domestically and internationally.
When we discuss financial inclusion, specifically in regards to women, the conversation often focuses on developing markets and least developed countries. But challenges to financial inclusion exist for women in developed economies as well, including the United States. So, what are the lessons we can take from developed economies that we can apply to the last mile, and vice versa?
In what would be the last episode we recorded before the COVID-19 outbreak, Episode 16 of Capital Musings featured Lauren Silbert, VP and General Manager of the personal finance website, The Balance. Lauren shared her thoughts on the challenges of financial inclusion and financial literacy for women in the U.S. and what lessons we can apply to the LDCs.
This January marked the commencement of the "Decade of Action"--the final 10 year period to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. With the global finance gap to achieve the SDGs in the trillions, one question that has emerged is: how can the private sector generally, and corporate brands with global scale in particular, play a role in driving achievement of the SDGs? And how can business models for major corporate brands align with sustainable development, notably in the world's least developed countries?
As the first corporate guest of the Capital Musings podcast, we welcomed Ezgi Barcenas—Global Vice President of Sustainability with ABInBev—to the show. Ezgi discussed how the world's largest brewer has taken on the task of incubating scalable sustainability solutions, the reasoning for the corporation's sustainability agenda, and how the company repurposed its resources to respond to COVID-19. She also discusses the role that individual consumers can play in advancing the SDGs.
According to the GIIN's 2018, Annual Impact Investor Survey, a majority of respondents reported applying a gender lens to their investments processes—an astounding 70%. And while gender lens investing holds the potential that investment capital can support women-owned and gender-friendly businesses while delivering a return on investment, a separate question persists: can gender lens investing actually support women's economic empowerment in the world's most challenging markets?
UNCDF and Artesian, the global alternative investment management firm, are offering their own answer to this question. Last week, they launched an impact partnership to support gender lens investing, boost female leaders in the corporate workplace, and support women's economic empowerment in the LDCs. Under this partnership, Artesian's gender-lensed investment bond fund (the WE Fund) will donate a third of its management fee to UNCDF and to the nonprofit, SheSyndicate, to support their work in the area of women's economic empowerment, including work in the 47 LDCs.
For Episode 14 of Capital Musings, we talk with Vicky Lay, Managing Director of Artesian. She discusses the demand for gender lens investment opportunities, the economic argument for women's economic empowerment, and the impact partnership with UNCDF.
One of the many challenges stemming from COVID-19, particularly in the context of the world's least developed countries, relates to the deployment of capital. Fast tracking of payments and capital will be essential to the goal of supporting LDCs in the context of COVID-19, from providing financial support to vulnerable populations, to disbursing grants to SMEs, to sending payments to healthcare workers who are on the frontlines. As with the current virus, digital payments were essential in the context of two other significant challenges: the Nepal Earthquake and the Ebola virus. So what are the lessons we can take from those experiences that are applicable with COVID-19?
We invited UNCDF's Jaspreet Singh and Ali Akram, both of whom have experience with respect to digital payments during the Nepal Earthquake and Ebola virus, to share their views on the Capital Musings podcast. This interview also offers a preview of a webinar that UNCDF will be conducting on April 20th on fast track digital payments in response to COVID-19 and beyond.
Local governments have been on the frontlines when it comes to the COVID-19 response, in large part because of their competencies--citizen engagement, management of public space and service delivery. But for local governments in the world's least developed countries, their ability to execute an effective response is undermined by a lack of funding, considering many local governments lack the authority to tax or access capital markets. What measures can local governments deploy to address these finance challenges, which can be deployed in days or weeks instead of months?
We spoke with two thought leaders and practice leaders--David Jackson and Tehmina Akhtar, Director and Deputy Director of UNCDF's Local Development Finance Practice--to get their insights and recommendations for how local governments can address these finance challenges to support and strengthen their COVID-19 responses. These recommendations are also included in a publication UNCDF has released this week.
This is a special co-podcast of Capital Musings and Capital Locast.
To all of the supporters of UNCDF and Capital Musings, we are thinking of all of you and we hope that you are navigating through this time as best as possible. You can find up-to-date information, guidance, and media resources on COVID-19 by going to the World Health Organization's website, https://www.who.int.
Thank you.
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Several weeks ago, there was a question regarding sustainable development that we wanted to address: what is the connection between transitioning from cash to digital payments and achievement of women's economic empowerment and gender equality? This one question led to others: Where is successful cash digitization currently taking place? Why is 2020 such a critical year for women in the context of economic empowerment? And what is the call to action to governments, international organizations, and the private sector?
We were fortunate enough to have Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen, Managing Director of the Better Than Cash Alliance, join us for Episode 11 of Capital Musings. The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Note: This was recorded on February 25th
Because of the focus on SDG 5 during the month of March, the next three episodes of Capital Musings will focus on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
Digital has delivered the hope of financial inclusion for communities traditionally left behind by the global financial architecture, women and girls in particular. But digital has also shown a capability to increase as many divides as it bridges. So, what can be done to ensure that digital so that no woman is left behind, including women in the world's least developed countries?
As we focus on gender equality and SDG 5 during the month of March, we welcome Nandini Harihareswara to talk about her work at the intersection of digital finance and women's economic empowerment, and to unveil UNCDF's digital strategy for women's economic empowerment.
The SDG of the month for February is SDG 11—to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. So, we invited Jaffer Machano, Global Programme Manager for UNCDF’s Municipal Finance Programme, back to the podcast. Jaffer was our guest for Episode 3, where he laid out the challenges that cities, towns and local governments face in terms of accessing the necessary capital to finance sustainable development projects, particularly in least developed countries. For Episode 9, Jaffer shifts his focus towards the solutions, including those solutions he is engineering on the ground.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
Those in the sustainable development space know that every year, the gap between SDG financing needs and available capital runs in the trillions--$2 trillion according to a conservative estimate. At the same time, the conversations surrounding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) often includes the phrase "billions to trillions"--representing the point that in order to achieve the SDG agenda, finance flows for sustainable development projects have to grow exponentially…and fast. But with just 10 years to achieve this agenda, those finance flows are instead moving from the billions to the...billions.
For Episode 8 of Capital Musings, we sat down with Joan M. Larrea, CEO of the global blended finance network Convergence, to hear her insights on the current state of SDG finance, what blended finance can do to improve the status quo, and what it cannot do.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the UN Web TV.
Producers: Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
Choosing between living under the authority of a leviathan and a life that would be “poor, nasty, brutish, and short” was the centerpiece of Thomas Hobbes’ social contract theory. But how much of a leviathan do we need to ensure that we can live both peacefully and freely? More to the point, how capable do we want a government to be? If every government runs the risk of either being so “capable,” that it can become despotic, or so incapable that it can be absent, then what is the right balance? And what kind of government do we need in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals at the local and national level?
Episode 7 of Capital Musings features our first external guest: Daron Acemoglu, Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at MIT, and the author of “The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty.” He offers his answers to these questions as well as his thoughts on whether the SDGs represent the global economy breaking out of the “cage of norms” and towards a new model of economic growth.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
Over 70 million people have been displaced due to conflict, persecution or war. When we think of those who have been forcibly displaced—whether they are refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced people—we often think of their lack of footing within their home or country. But we rarely think about how they contend with financial exclusion. How can displaced populations cultivate a financial role outside of their communities or countries? And what can they do to ensure that they are not resigned to a life of outside formal economies, specifically women?
UNCDF’s Pamela Eser shares insights, lessons and challenges from her experience in one of the most difficult areas of economic development. She also shares how modern solutions like digital financial tools, coupled with traditional solutions like savings groups, have been effective in advancing financial inclusion for displaced people residing in some of the most difficult areas in the world.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Carlos Macias and Fernando Zarauz
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference—or COP25—by issuing the warning that “the point of no-return is no longer over the horizon.” This follows the release of the UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap report, which stated that we are on the brink of missing the opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
But do these circumstances mean that the international community will recognize the critical role of local governments to advance appropriate climate action? Will there be a more concerted effort to finance such climate action in the world’s least developed countries, which will feel the worst effects of climate change. And will this signal rising support for adaptation measures in relation to mitigation?
David Jackson, Director of the Local Development Finance Practice of UNCDF who oversees our local climate adaptation programme (LoCAL), shares his thoughts on all of these questions, as well as what we can reasonably expect from this year’s COP25. We sat down with David just days before COP25.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
If you were asked "what is the difference between women's economic empowerment and women's economic development," would you know the answer?
Women's economic empowerment has been an essential driver of the economic development agenda; uniting individual nations, multilateral organizations, NGOs and impact investors. But what does successful women's economic empowerment truly mean, particularly in the world's least developed countries? How can success be achieved when cultural challenges are pervasive and profound? And what are the prospects of achieving women's economic empowerment in the LDCs when we are so far behind in achieving the SDGs?
Samina Anwar, Programme Manager for the Inclusive and Equitable Local Development programme--a joint programme of UN Women, UNDP and UNCDF--offers her insights on the future of women's economic empowerment in the LDCs and beyond. She also answers this question: if we do not achieve SDG5 (Gender Equality) by 2030, what would have been the reason?
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Carlos Macias, Fernando Zarauz
The city of Los Angeles, with a population of roughly 4 million people, can issue a bond to fund infrastructure construction. Yet, the city of Nairobi—the capital city of Kenya with a population of roughly 3.5 million people—is effectively, if not actually, unable to do the same. Despite the global trend of urbanization, cities and local governments in developing countries experience tremendous difficulty accessing capital in international markets. If this persists, then sustainable development will ultimately skip over the cities, countries and markets where it is needed the most. On episode 3 of Capital Musings, we talk with Jaffer Machano, Global Programme Manager for UNCDF’s Municipal Investment Finance programme, about the challenges municipalities in developing countries face in accessing capital, and UNCDF’s vision for addressing this challenge.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
Blended finance is seen as a tool that can unlock investment capital for projects in the world’s most challenging markets, notably in the least developed countries. So why is only 6% of blended finance, in the form of private capital mobilized by official development assistance, reaching these markets? That is the finding of a report recently released by UNCDF and the OECD. On Episode 2 of Capital Musings, Samuel Choritz, one of the lead authors of the report, explains why this is happening, as well as what is needed from a policy, regulatory and market standpoint to reverse the trend.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
In the inaugural episode of Capital Musings, Esther Pan Sloane, Head of Partnerships, Policy and Communications for UNCDF, addresses a critical question in the area of sustainable development: with a global financial ecosystem that possesses abundant levels of capital, why is much of that capital not reaching the least-developed countries in the world where it is needed the most? Esther also discusses the importance of leveraging private capital and innovative finance in order to achieve the SDGs, as well as the mission and mandate of UNCDF.
Capital Musings is a production of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and UN Web TV.
Producers: Victoria Guridi, Fernando Zarauz, Carlos Macias
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