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The 75th ordinary meeting of the Coordinating Group of national and regional development institutions started today at the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Aimed at promoting collaboration and better coordination among development agencies in supporting development projects, the three-day meeting seeks to boost partnership among members of the committee to ensure the effectiveness of aid programs, especially in co-financing development projects. In addition, the meeting will aim to facilitate the exchange of ideas and views on funding activities through agreeing on broad principles of development issues.
During the opening session, His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), welcomed the participants and highlighted the Coordinating Group’s efforts over the past 40 years that have helped craft success stories in some 130 countries around the world.
His Excellency Al Suwaidi said: “Our fruitful journey reiterates the important role of our institutions in achieving development. This journey is based on commitment towards cooperation and meeting the development needs and requirements of partnering countries. Our work has been effective and transparent, and we will continue to achieve the vision and mission of the Coordination Group in lending a helping hand to countries that need sustainable development.”
He added: “The meetings of the Coordination Group are among the most important and effective development partnerships on a global level. We will not be speaking today about statistics or the number of financing operations done by the Group. We will, however, discuss the future vision creatively and think about the kinds of services that our institutions will offer in order to bring happiness to people living in partnering countries.”
His Excellency Al Suwaidi stressed that the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is proud to be part of a Coordination Group that is committed to achieving tangible results and coordinating operations and policies among members and partners.
He said: “ADFD is one of many aid and development institutions working in the UAE. The country has achieved milestones in terms of organizing the foreign aid system. I invite all partners to look at the UAE’s experience in registering and documenting foreign aids and formulating a country strategy in this sector.”
On his part, H.E Mohammad Jamal Al-Saati, Director of Countries Programs Department at the Islamic Development Bank, thanked the UAE government and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development on behalf of the Coordination Group for hosting the meeting.
Al-Saati stressed the importance of the Group’s meeting in Abu Dhabi and the significant role of coordination in providing development aids.
He said: “Such coordination will contribute to lessening economic hardships and developing major sectors needed for comprehensive social and economic development among beneficiary countries. I welcome the efforts of the Islamic Development Bank in hosting the 76th meeting of the Coordination Group in Jeddah – the dates of which will be decided after deliberations among the Group members.”
The Coordination Group comprises the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Saudi Fund for Development, Qatar Development Fund, along with a number of regional development agencies including the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Islamic Development Bank Group, OPEC Fund for International Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Arab Gulf Program for Development, and the Arab Monetary Fund.
Established in 1975, the Coordination Group aims to promote collaboration and coordination among the funding institutions in evaluating, financing, monitoring and management of project implementation. It also seeks to achieve integration of efforts and standardization of funding procedures and financial policies among its members.
Abu Dhabi earlier played hosts in 2010 when the members converged in the UAE capital for the 67th meeting of the Coordination Group. Sudanese capital Khartoum held the last edition from 15-17 September, 2014.
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