Addis Ababa — Ethiopia has signed a Host Country Agreement with the UN to host the first preparatory session for the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development which will be held in Addis Ababa from July 22-26, 2024.

According to Foreign Affairs Ministry, the agreement was signed in New York.

Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations while Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs inked the agreement representing the UN.

During the signing ceremony, Ambassador Tesfaye underlined that hosting the conference is an expression of Ethiopia's firm commitment to a more effective UN development system and a reinvigorated multilateralism.

The Under-Secretary-General on his part appreciated Ethiopia's commitment and role in hosting the UN preparatory Conference on Financing for Development.

Both underscored the importance of the conference in setting the right tone to galvanize the international community to mobilize finance for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and for Sustainable Development.

In 2015 Ethiopia hosted the Third Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa which adopted the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, a landmark outcome document that outlined a comprehensive global framework for financing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The upcoming preparatory conference will review the progress and the gaps in the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as an integral part of the 2030 Agenda, and identify actions and ideas to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.