Policy Dialogue on Infrastructure Financing Strategies for Sustainable Development in South-East Asia

Recognizing the importance of infrastructure development for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ESCAP is supporting the countries in the region in addressing infrastructure financing challenges. As part of this continuous effort, ESCAP co-organized with the Department of Finance of the Philippines a sub-regional policy dialogue on 29-30 August in Manila. Overall, the policy dialogue facilitated the sharing of experience as well as the identification of good practices and innovative mechanisms for designing infrastructure financing strategies. For instance, the event considered how to mobilize domestic resources, improve public expenditure efficiency, partner with the private sector and tap financial markets for infrastructure development. Participants to the policy dialogue were high-level officials from the ministries of finance and planning, central banks, PPP Units and other infrastructure-related ministries with experts from financing institutions. Nine countries in the sub-region were represented. To support the discussions, two background studies were prepared, and presented at the event. A side-event was also organized to disseminate the findings of the last ESCAP’s Economic and Social Survey and CSN Development Report. The policy dialogue was preceded by a workshop on infrastructure financing strategies for the Philippines (http://www.unescap.org/events/workshop-infrastructure-financing-strategi...).