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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a4bf2d249524
DTSTART:20260415T160000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20260415T180000Z
LOCATION:Washington\, DC\, United States of America
SUMMARY:Launch of the Borrowers’ Platform
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:Ministers of finance and central bank governors of developing c
 ountries will convene on the margins of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings
  to launch the Borrowers’ Platform to improve their debt management capa
 city.Explore the borrowers&#039\; platformThe initiative is member state-l
 ed\, with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) serving as the secretariat.The
  platform&#039\;s launch comes amid rising debt pressures across developin
 g countries. Their external debt burden reached $11.7 trillion in 2024. A 
 total of 54 countries\, home to 3.4 billion people\, now spend more on deb
 t than on health or education.Opening segment streamed liveThe launch even
 t is by invitation only. However\, the opening segment will be streamed li
 ve on UNTV and will feature statements by:António Guterres\, Secretary-Ge
 neral of the United NationsAhmed Kouchouck\, Minister of Finance of EgyptM
 uhammad Aurangzeb\, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue of PakistanPr
 ess conferenceThe launch event will be followed by a press conference from
  2–3 p.m. (EDT). Journalists and media can register here for the press c
 onference.A break from the past – bringing borrowers into the conversati
 on The platform addresses a gap in the international financial system\, w
 here developing countries remain underrepresented while creditor coordinat
 ion has expanded.Creditor-driven coordination and negotiation mechanisms h
 ave been insufficiently responsive to borrowers’ collective needs.The pl
 atform will:Strengthen South–South cooperation and knowledge-sharingProv
 ide technical and advisory support to borrowing countriesImprove represent
 ation in global financial and debt discussionsEnhance debt transparency an
 d public debt managementSupport sustainable financing and development outc
 omesSend a positive market signal by strengthening debt-sustainability pra
 ctices and improving data transparency.More about the platformEvent object
 ivesThe launch event seeks to formally establish the Borrowers’ Platform
 . The objectives are to:Officially open the interim period\, during which 
 member states will work to contribute to the framing of the platformEstabl
 ish an interim leadershipAdopt a work programme until October 2026https://
 forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=2zWeD09UYE-9zF6kFubccHb14
 JKeyWFIvh7Bfl35mopUNFhBVzdCNUxITTlRTEowNzRIUzJQSzY5Si4u&amp\;amp\;route=sh
 orturl\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/launch-bo
 rrowers-platform
DTSTAMP:20260706T182418Z
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