"Blend public and private capital to unlock Africa's potential": UN Deputy Chief at TICAD-9

UN Deputy Secretary-General's Remarks at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9)

Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen,

I want to begin by thanking the government of Japan and the organisers of TICAD for their unwavering commitment to African led development. 

We need your ambition and your determination now more than ever. Halfway to 2030, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is nowhere near where it needs to be yet, despite the promise we faced dark realities.  

Africa is home to almost one in every five people on the planet, as well as the world's youngest population. It is fast becoming a powerhouse in renewable energy and digital innovation. Yet the promise of Africa's people and the potential is too often held back by historical injustices, climate shocks, inflation and limited fiscal space.  

The answer is not incremental change. It is bold systemic transformation fueled by capital at an unprecedented scale and speed. 

The Joint SDG Fund was created with a simple yet audacious premise to take the risks others won't. To unlock transformations others can't, and to prove what's possible when courage meets capital. 

With $344 million in strategic investments, the Fund has mobilized $6.6 billion in additional resources, a leverage ratio of 1 to 19. That speaks to something profound. When we dare to act boldly, the world responds, and the results are transformative. 

In Cabo Verde, $40 million is flowing through sustainable bonds via Blue X, positioning a small island nation at the forefront of Africa's green finance revolution. 

In Rwanda, digital platforms are breaking down barriers for thousands of women cross-border traders, connecting them to markets and financial services. 

In Zimbabwe, Renewable Energy Fund co-financed with the private sector is expanding access for underserved communities, especially women led businesses. 

In Kenya, a $10 million development impact created a results-based health system, it delivered over 1.5 million services covering family planning and HIV to young people in just two years. 

Each example tells the success story of how the Joint SDG Fund ushers in catalytic high impact investment in Africa. And each is a proof of the concept for a new model of development finance that works. 

Now is the time to scale it. 

The path forward is clear. Blend public and private capital to unlock Africa's potential. 

Every dollar invested in Africa's youth generates a return in hope, innovation, and the sustainable prosperity our world needs. 

The United Nations stands ready, and the Joint SDG Fund is your partner. 

Together, let's help unlock Africa's potential and deliver on the SDGs.

All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.