Recognizing the ambition, scope and integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), together with the need for more domestic funding to finance development, this note describes an innovative financing solution developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine-supported STRIVE Research Consortium (STRIVE) with support from the Government of Japan. Known as ‘cross-sectoral co-financing’ or simply ‘co-financing’, it offers a new and more efficient way to budget for high-value/impact interventions that deliver benefits across multiple sectors, SDGs and SDG targets simultaneously.

This guidance note builds on UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018–2021 which recognizes UNDP as an integrator to support “greater collaboration across sectors and partners to deliver impacts at scale and to utilize limited resources efficiently.” The guidance note also build on UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016–2021 which stresses the need for “innovative approaches that harness synergies across the goals […] particularly given the need to make the most efficient and effective use of available development resources."

The guidance note adds to tools, expertise and financing solutions developed by UNDP’s Strategic Policy Unit and Development Finance team. The note is intended primarily for public sector planners and budget managers, including senior finance managers and programme managers from relevant ministries including finance. It is further intended for economists and development partners supporting governments to plan for, finance and implement the SDGs.