The investment gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries by 2030 has widened from $2.5 trillion to approximately $4 trillion per year between 2014 and 2023. This chasm underscores the urgent need to leverage all sources of funding, including foreign direct investment (FDI). However, private investment in developing economies, and in least developed countries (LDCs) in particular, is constrained by heightened real and perceived risks.
Moreover, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions significantly amplify investment risks, particularly in structurally weak and vulnerable countries. Robust de-risking strategies are needed to unlock private investment and bridge the financing gap to achieve the SDGs. De-risking instruments, such as political risk insurance (PRI) and credit guarantees, play a critical—and potentially growing—role in fostering investment in developing countries, particularly in LDCs. However, the application of these instruments remains uneven, with certain industries and geographies receiving disproportionately lower coverage. There is an urgent need to scale and adapt these tools and to foster partnerships between institutions to more effectively support investment in the SDGs.
Building on recent research by UN Trade and Development, this event will feature two focused panel discussions. The first will take a high-level view at how multilateral development banks, development finance institutions (DFIs), export credit agencies (ECAs), national development banks, as well as home and host countries can collaborate to strengthen investment de-risking for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
The second panel will focus on the role of ECAs in supporting SDG-aligned investment from private sector financiers, through guarantees, including PRI and credit guarantees. It will explore innovative solutions to expand the use and accessibility of these instruments—particularly in underrepresented sectors and LDCs. The discussion will highlight how ECAs can strengthen their impact by partnering with multilateral institutions, DFIs, national development banks, and private insurers. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative structures, co-guarantees and blended solutions that can enhance the scale, effectiveness, and reach of these instruments to better serve sustainable development outcomes.
After seven years of experiences in corporate and project financing at MUFG, he joined NEXI in 2003. Since then, he has led underwriting teams in the infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, power, and mining sectors. His experience spans sovereign, corporate, and project finance loan insurance, as well as political risk insurance for equity and subordinated debt.
He led the corporate planning division, overseeing strategic policy and the agency’s mid-term and annual plans. He also developed a risk premium system for new products.
While seconded to the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of Japan, he coordinated overseas infrastructure business promotion. He helped develop untied loan policy guidelines under the LEAD initiative and enhanced loan insurance incentives for green innovation.
He was NEXI’s chief negotiator of the OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, and organised multilateral meetings hosted by NEXI, including the BU RCG CEO Meeting (2020) and G7 ECAs CEO Meeting (2024). As a senior advisor, he oversees international and strategic policy issues. He served as Vice Chair of the ECA Committee (2022–2023) and is a member of the Management Committee.
He holds an MBA from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Development Finance from SOAS, University of London, and is currently a PhD candidate in Public Policy at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.
Prof. Andreas Klasen is Director at the lill Institute for Public Value and a Partner at lill Advisory. In addition, he is Honorary Research Associate at the University of Oxford, Honorary Visiting Professor at Bayes Business School, City St George's, University of London, and Visiting Professor at the University of St. Gallen. Before, he served as full Professor of International Business at Brunel University of London and Offenburg. Prior to his academic career, he was a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Germany, where he served as PwC’s Economics & Policy Leader, and as Co-Head and Managing Director of Germany’s official export credit agency. Furthermore, his career includes roles as Head of Guarantees and Export Finance at Airbus Group (ex EADS), and Vice President of the Berne Union.
Prof. Klasen advises governments, development banks, export-import banks, export credit agencies, and innovation funds on industrial and climate policy, innovation and export strategies, and financing instruments. Clients include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Dutch Ministry of Finance, Etihad Credit Insurance in the United Arab Emirates, the European Commission, Export Development Canada (EDC), the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, NEXI in Japan, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the United Nations, and the World Bank Group.
His research focuses on public policy and export strategies, public management, as well as export, development and climate finance. He has made significant contributions to academic literature, with publications such as „The Handbook of Global Trade Policy“ and contributions to works including “The Elgar Encyclopedia of Public Management“. He regularly speaks at international conferences and fora such as COP, G7, G20, the EU, the OECD, UN conferences, and the WTO, was invited to give expert evidence to the UK Parliament and have long lasting experience as an economic adviser in WTO disputes.
Prof. Klasen's research and professional work has been featured, for instance, by the Financial Times, CNBC, Deutsche Welle, Forbes, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, and Impulse.
He was educated at Leibniz University Hannover, Northumbria University, the University of Wales, and the University of St Andrews, studying law, business, and theology and receiving his doctoral degree in finance.
Paul has over a decade of experience in strategic communications, external relations and stakeholder engagement within international finance.
He is currently leading the day to day operations of the Secretariat, and prior to this was head of communications, with responsibility for research and publications, outreach and external affairs, PR and media strategy.
Prior to joining the BU, Paul managed a portfolio of conferences on international finance and institutional investment at Informa, one of the world’s largest media, events and publications companies.
He holds an MA from King’s College London and a BA from Trinity College Dublin.
Benjamin was confirmed as the Chief Underwriting Officer in July 2020, after acting in the capacity for just over a year. Prior to this, he was a Senior Underwriter. Benjamin has been involved in underwriting transactions across several sectors such as energy, mining, telecommunications, manufacturing, and infrastructure for a wide range of clients including banks, investors, and contractors. Between 2013 and 2015, he was based in Uganda and was responsible for ATI’s field offices in Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Prior to joining ATI, Benjamin worked at the East African Development Bank. In his decade-long career at the Bank, he advanced to the position of Senior Project Officer working on various development projects.
Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering a Master of Science Degree in Construction Management from Makerere University as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the East & Southern Africa Management Institute. He also has a post-graduate certificate in project planning and finance from Bradford University.
At the World Bank, Şebnem serves as the Practice Manager for Infrastructure Finance, PPPs & Guarantees. She also oversees the World Bank guarantee program. She and her team collaborate with sector teams, government clients, commercial counterparts, IFC, and MIGA to develop programmatic approaches to mobilize private capital for climate-smart projects through financial structuring, targeted credit enhancements, and technical assistance.
She has over 20 years of experience in structured credit markets (including infrastructure bonds, project finance, bridge loans, mezzanine, and asset-backed securities). Prior to joining the World Bank in 2015, Şebnem was a Managing Director at Nomura and previously at Deutsche Bank. She worked closely with issuers, institutional investors, commercial banks, and rating agencies in designing, underwriting, and placing innovative finance solutions for new borrowers and with new investors. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms Reguero Naredo graduated in Business Administration and specialises in International Financing. As a State Economist and Trade Expert, she held positions in the Ministry of Public Works and in the Trade Directorate. In 1999, she joined CESCE as Deputy Director of the International Relations and Research Department.
Since 2005, she is the head of CESCE’s Country Risk and Debt Management Department. In January 2012, she is appointed Chief Operating Officer – State Account Business.
Chris is has more than 30 years' experience in project and export finance across emerging markets and currently serves as Managing Partner and Head of Origination at Acre Impact Capital.
Prior to joining Acre, Chris was Head of Export Finance at Investec Bank based in London where he founded the business in 2010, advising and arranging export & agency finance for project and sovereign infrastructure projects in Africa, growing the business to be a leading arranger on the continent.
Before Investec, Chris was Global Head of Export Finance at ANZ Bank based Singapore. He joined ANZ in London in 1988 before moving to Melbourne, Sydney and finally Singapore in a variety of roles including risk, project finance and structure trade and export finance.
Since 2019 Chris is Co-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Export Finance Sustainability Working Group and serves on the Loan Markets Association Executive Committee for the ECA Working Party.
Chris is a regular contributor to and presenter at the export finance industry forums including the Berne Union and OECD as well as at industry events including TXF and Global Trade Review.
