CEB leverages partnerships with MDBs and G20 to support progress on MDB collaboration, just transition and the 2030 Agenda at meetings in South Africa

Paris – The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) will embark on a series of meetings in South Africa from 20-28 February 2025 in connection with South Africa’s Presidency of the G20, the Heads of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Group, which the CEB currently chairs, and the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS).

The CEB shares South Africa’s position that the G20 has a significant role to play in fostering global cooperation, collaboration and partnership to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Held under the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” South Africa’s Presidency emphasises the importance of working in unison to address interconnected global challenges. For MDBs, this means continued progress on the reform agenda and implementation of the G20 Roadmap towards better, bigger and more effective MDBs, both individually and jointly, including through the work of the Heads of MDBs Group.

On 20 and 21 February 2025, CEB Governor Carlo Monticelli begins his journey in Johannesburg where he will participate in the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting where discussions will lay the groundwork for a busy year of work to come. The two-day meeting will include sessions on the global geopolitical situation as well as G20 objectives and high-level deliverables foreseen in 2025.

From 26-27 February, Governor Monticelli will speak at the first Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting of the G20 in Cape Town as the Chair of the MDBs Group. These Finance Track Meetings are tasked with focusing on global economic and financial policy issues. The Governor’s intervention will provide attendees with an overview of priorities for progress on the G20 Roadmap, and will also underline the role of social investments in financing for development.

On 27 February 2025, the CEB will benefit from the presence of many of the Heads of MDBs in Cape Town to host its first meeting as Chair of the Heads of MDB Group, a position that the Bank took on in December 2024 for one year. The meeting will kickstart work on annual deliverables and agree shared priorities for the Group, in alignment with the G20 Roadmap and in light of the many important international events, notably FfD4 and COP 30, set to take place in 2025.

From 26-28 February, the CEB will also participate in the 2025 Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) held around the theme of “Fostering Infrastructure and Finance for Just and Sustainable Growth.” The fifth edition of the FiCS, is co-hosted by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in addition to Agence Française de Développement. This year’s agenda prioritises financial inclusion, the creation of skills development opportunities for young people and the facilitation of meaningful partnerships with the private sector. The Summit highlights the powerful potential of inclusive financing, which can advance the SDGs through innovative financial models and collaboration. Addressing climate changes and promoting strategic partnerships are also at the heart of the Summit. Governor Monticelli will speak on 27 February during the plenary session “By PDBS, for PDBs and beyond: Making the system work in a more inclusive way” and will deliver opening remarks in the break-out session on Just Transitions and Social Investments.

Updates on the CEB’s participation will be provided throughout the visit.