Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Kenyeh Barlay delivered a compelling address at the Fragility Forum 2024 in Washington DC as well as advocated for Climate Finance Equity at Fragility Forum 2024

The event was Co-hosted by G7plus, the World Bank, and ODI Global involving a high-level session titled “Plugging the Climate Finance Gap in Fragile & Conflict-affected Settings” aimed to galvanize effective partnerships to bolster access to climate finance in Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCS).

They discussed possible grounds for fortifying state institutions to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change, alongside streamlining approaches to expedite financial access in Fragile, Conflict, and Violent (FCV) environments globally.

Minister Barley maintained that there is an urgent need to address the distinct challenges encountered by fragile and conflict-affected settings in grappling with climate change impacts, adding that, the Innovative financing mechanisms, such as risk-sharing instruments and public-private partnerships, took center stage as pivotal means to mobilize resources effectively.

She called for heightened international cooperation and solidarity that will enhance equitable access to climate finance for fragile and conflict-affected settings around the world.

The discussions also featured two additional panels with titles: “Scaling up for Greater Impact through Weak Public Institutions,” which created an opportunity for the minister to reveal  Sierra Leone’s strategies to expedite and transform its development trajectory by addressing agriculture, climate, food security, water, nature, and social exclusion issues through the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) for the period 2024-2030 as part of the activities to ensure sustainable development.