Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 74/232 B of 11 August 2020, entitled ¡°Follow-up to the Fourth 51³Ô¹Ï Conference on the Least Developed Countries¡± the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will convene a joint thematic event on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on Friday, 18 June 2021.

The joint event will be held under the theme ¡°Diversifying the Financing Toolbox to Enhance Investment in Least Developed Countries¡±, and build common ground on strengthening national and global financing mechanisms to ensure a smart and modern risk-informed and resilient financing toolbox for LDCs aiming at accelerated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while building back better from the pandemic and resilience against future crises. Discussions at the thematic event will also highlight the importance of engagement with various stakeholders including governments, international financial institutions, private sector, foundations and other stakeholders in addressing the new and emerging challenges and seizing the opportunities offered by innovative financing for SDGs.

Objectives

The joint event offers a unique platform to advance the following objectives and build common ground on:

? Strengthening national and global financing mechanisms to ensure a smart and modern risk-informed and resilient financing toolbox for LDCs aiming at accelerated implementation of the SDGs, while building back better from the pandemic and
resilience against future crises.

? Engagement with various stakeholders including governments, IFIs, private sector, foundations and other stakeholders in addressing the new and emerging challenges and seizing the opportunities offered by innovative financing for SDGs.

? Investing in sustainable infrastructure as a tool to foster growth, address inequality and build resilience against shocks.

Where to watch

The Joint Thematic Event on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) will take place on Friday, 18 June 2021 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and be broadcast live and on-demand at ?