Addressing the Debt Burden of Low and Middle Income Countries. Development Finance Conference in Sevilla

23 May 2025 - 10:30-12:30 CEST
Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
Via dei Montecatini, 17 - Rome

Working language: English
Hybrid event

Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing increasing challenges in managing their debt burdens. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, rising global interest rates, climate change impacts, and geoeconomic and geopolitical instability have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, pushing several LMICs into or near debt distress. This situation threatens their ability to achieve sustainable development goals, invest in essential services, and respond to future shocks. The goal of this event is two-fold. First, it will raise awareness of the growing debt crisis in LMICs and its implications, by facilitating a dialogue among decision makers, international financial institutions, experts and civil society organizations. Second, it will seek to identify innovative solutions and policy recommendations for addressing debt distress and promoting long-term debt sustainability in view of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla. In this sense, the event will also be an opportunity to shed light on the findings and policy solutions of the upcoming Jubilee report.

Programme

10.30 - 10.35   Welcome Remarks
Michele Valensise, President, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)

10.35 - 10.50   Keynote Speech
Paolo Gentiloni, Co-Chair of the United Nation Expert Group on Debt

10.50 - 12.10   Panel Discussion
Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in Rome
Pietrangelo Di Biase, Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Christine Allen, Executive Director, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (online)
Penelope Hawkins, Head Debt and Development Finance Branch Division on Globalisation and Development Strategies, UN Trade and Development
Martin Kessler, Executive Director, Finance for Development Lab

12.10 - 12.25   Q&A
Moderated by Daniele Fattibene, Associate Fellow, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), and Coordinator, European Think Tanks Group (ETTG)

12.25 - 12.30 Concluding Remarks
Ettore Greco, Executive Vice President, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)

Light buffet lunch to follow

Download Agenda PDF