National control over financial systems and sustainable, climate-adaptable development is critical
Empowering Nations Through Financing Frameworks: The Rise of Country Ownership
In a world facing mounting challenges such as rising debt burdens, global cooperation hurdles, and impending climate and biodiversity crises, the principle of 'country ownership' has become essential and strategic. This principle is at the heart of two innovative approaches: Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) and Country Platforms (CPs), which are transforming the landscape of development financing.
Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) are strategic national tools led by Ministries of Finance. They help countries align public and private financial resources with their national and sub-national development priorities, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate targets, and biodiversity commitments. INFFs offer a structured approach to developing integrated financing strategies that consider the country’s specific development plans, enabling better mobilization and coordination of diverse financing sources.
On the other hand, Country Platforms (CPs) are collaborative multi-stakeholder forums, anchored in domestic institutions and led by national governments. They bring together key actors—such as ministries of finance, national development banks, private sector representatives, development partners, and UN agencies—to align financing flows with national development and climate objectives around a unified strategy.
Together, INFFs and Country Platforms support country ownership in development programs by enhancing coordination across public, private, and international finance actors according to the country’s priorities, building national leadership and institutional capacity, mobilizing diverse financial resources, and providing a platform for inclusivity and partnership. This integrated approach strengthens national ownership by ensuring development financing is aligned with country-led strategies instead of externally driven agendas, making financial flows more effective and sustainable in supporting long-term development and climate goals.
More than 85 countries are using the INFFs approach to identify financing needs and opportunities, develop policy reform agendas, and embed sovereign financing strategies within national institutions to mobilize, align, and derisk public and private investment in their NDPs, NDCs, and NBSAPs. Egypt’s launch of its INFF as part of global initiatives demonstrates how these frameworks can catalyze cooperation and mobilize significant finance for priority sectors while centering national leadership.
As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, the strategic focus is on country platforms, reinforcing the call for integrated, nationally driven solutions that bridge climate, nature, and development finance. International partners, including multilateral development banks, government partners, the private sector, national development banks, civil society, and technical advisory, have critical roles to play at every stage of national development. The G20 Roadmap towards better, bigger, and more effective multilateral development banks and the Global Financing Playbook are initiatives aimed at reforming international architecture to support country ownership.
The principle of 'country ownership' is not just a buzzword; it is a pivotal moment to strengthen support for country leadership on financing and the principle of country ownership. FFD4 (Financing for Development Conference) is a crucial platform to advance this cause. South-South cooperation is also seen as a way to address the imbalance between individual countries and international organizations in terms of development practices.
In conclusion, INFFs and Country Platforms institutionalize a country-led, inclusive, and coordinated financing mechanism that supports development programs by aligning resources with national priorities and enhancing government control over development finance. These tools are more than just strategies; they are the keys to unlocking a sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.
- Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) and Country Platforms (CPs) are transforming development financing by enabling countries to align their financial resources with national priorities, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate targets, and biodiversity commitments.
- INFFs offer a structured approach to mobilizing diverse financing sources, while CPs bring together key stakeholders, such as the private sector, development partners, and UN agencies, to align financing flows with national development and climate objectives.
- By strengthening coordination across public, private, and international finance actors according to the country’s priorities, INFFs and CPs support country ownership in development programs, building national leadership and institutional capacity.
- The principle of 'country ownership' is a pivotal moment to strengthen support for country leadership on financing, and initiatives like the G20 Roadmap towards better, bigger, and more effective multilateral development banks and the Global Financing Playbook are aimed at reforming international architecture to support country ownership.
