Joint Financing and Resource Mobilization Strategy : A companion piece to the UN Sustainable Development Framework

1. Introduction

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework–2020-2023 (UNSDCF) was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the UN Country Team (UNCT) in October 2019. It outlines four Outcome Areas that are the focus of work for the UNCT’s 21 agencies and funds. These four Outcomes Areas are fully aligned with the country’s MediumTerm National Development Plan-2019-2023 (MTNDP). They are:

1. Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security, and Climate Resilience

2. Transformational Governance

3. Access to Basic Services

4. Protection and Empowerment of the Most Vulnerable

The primary objective of this Joint Financing and Resource Mobilization Strategy is to support the 2020-2023 UNSDCF cycle joint funding and financing framework.

This strategy intends to provide relevant background information, strategic focus and practical guidance to UNCT efforts to mobilize financial and other resources in support of joint partnerships under the UNSDCF. This strategy begins with a presentation of the UNSDCF Funding and Financing Framework that shows funding requirements and gaps. It then discusses the Sierra Leone Financial Landscape, the global context on development finance, and different finance mechanisms, including bilateral and multilateral flows, philanthropy, and the private sector.

Later in the document, details are provided on the country’s integrated national financing framework document, prepared in 2018-2019 with UN support. Recommendations from that document offer several entry points where targeted UN support could advance domestic and external SDG finance.

The last part of this strategy maps potential funding sources relative to UNSDCF Outcome Areas and suggests coordinated efforts for UNCT in pursuit of funding opportunities.

This strategy complements efforts of individual UN agencies to secure funding for activities outlined in the UNSDCF. While the focus is on resources for joint programmes, there are also topics discussed that may be most relevant to single agency programmes, for reasons of comparative advantage, specialization, or other consideration. Along the same lines, some resource opportunities may relate most to NGOs or other types of partners with ability to contribute to UNSDCF planned results.