NEWS

The Second Asia CSO Strategy Meeting on International Financial Architecture

From 9 to 11 September, IESR (Institute for Essential Services Reform), APMDD (Asia Pacific People’s Movement on Development and Debt), and the JFF Network (Japan Civil Society Network for Just and Fair Finance for Sustainable Development), with co-implementing organisations Africa Japan Forum and JANIC, held an international conference for Asian CSOs on economic justice in Tokyo, Japan This served as a follow-up to the international conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, in April 2024.

Covering development finance, climate finance, debt, and international taxation, approximately 30 CSOs from across Asia working on economic justice and international financial architecture participated alongside 15 participants from Japan. Discussions centred on advocacy strategies and campaigns for upcoming international conferences over the next year or two, including the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30), the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, and the G20 Summit.

Panel discussions were held with officials from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and JICA on themes of international financial architecture and climate finance. A CSO delegation also visited the Development Institutions Division within the Ministry of Finance’s International Affairs Bureau, who is in charge of MDBs, providing an opportunity for direct exchange with keystakeholders on international financial architecture.