Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Arab Gulf Development Programme for Development (AGFUND), the 7th AGFUND Development Forum will be held on October 15-17, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the International Annual Award of AGFUND Prize Ceremony for Pioneering Human Development Projects in its 9th year. 

 

The Forum will begin with an international Symposium entitled “Achieving SDGs 2030 in Western and Central Africa through Financial Inclusion” The Symposium, which will be held on Monday, October 15, at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, will include five working sessions with the participation of development experts. Session 1 is entitled “Financial Inclusion in Western and Central Africa: Reality VS. Aspirations”. Session 2 will present “Regional and International Stories in Advancing Financial Inclusion to the Poor.” Session 3 will discuss “The role of AGFUND Prize in Promoting SDGs 2030.” Session 4 is entitled “The role of donors and private sector in achieving Financial Inclusion to the marginalized people in Africa.” Session 5 will discuss “Social Performance Measurement of the Impact of SDGs 2030-related financial instruments/products.

 

 The Forum’s Agenda includes a press conference at Palais Des Nations (Palace of Nations), where AGFUND’s officials present the recommendations of the International Symposium. On Wednesday evening, October 17, 2018, the prizes will be presented to the winners in “Quality Education” field, at the General Assembly Hall of the Palais Des Nations in Geneva. The ceremony is a development event attended by Queen Sofia, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Michael Mueller, members of the AGFUND Prize Committee and diplomatic missions accredited to Geneva. AGFUND organized six development forums in Manila, Montevideo, Rabat, Abu Dhabi, Geneva and Riyadh, during which seminars, workshops and training courses were held in issues addressing the roots of development.

 

Since 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has comes into force, AGFUND has announced its vision and practical programs to support the new agenda as it actively contributes to the Millennium Development Goals. Theme of AGFUND Prize 2018 is “Eradication of Poverty”, goal 1 of SDGs 2030.