Building on the success of the 2nd Policy Symposium (October 2024) of its Finance, Integrity and Governance (FIG) Initiative, the GPCG hosted a virtual exchange on 20 February with the support of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. The focus of the virtual event was for participants and stakeholders to debrief on the outcomes of the third Preparatory Committee Session for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). This virtual session provided an informal space for reflection on key discussions from the Third Preparatory Committee with a specific focus on financial integrity issues, highlighting areas of potential consensus and identifying issues that may require further negotiation to reach agreements. Following these events, the GPCG is facilitating the Third FIG Policy Symposium in New York on 9-10 April - the last FIG event before FfD4 in Sevilla.  

In view of its in-person symposia and its virtual exchanges, the GPCG is now an acknowledged player in the FfD4 process. Since the beginning of the year, the GPCG’s FIG team has been invited to participate in events organized by key partners. 

On 13 March, GPCG FIG joined the First Firm Culture and Governance Roundtable hosted by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). The discussions of the event were related to the role that professional service providers play in relation to illicit financial flows, which is one of the topics addressed at the 2^nd FIG Symposium and summarized in the respective 2nd FIG Working Paper. The event included a wide range of stakeholders from the accounting profession, including large accounting companies and regulators. UNDP was the only UN agency present at IESBA’s roundtable.  

Similarly, on 18-20 March, the GPCG joined the 9th Edition of the Retreat of the Group of Friends of Monterrey (FOM), dedicated to fostering discussions around the first revised draft of the Outcome Document of the FfD4. The FOM Retreat provided an informal and open space for Member States, civil society, industry, and other stakeholders to engage in dialogues around key proposals and advance consensus. The FOM retreat was hosted by Mexico, Germany, and Switzerland at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and counted on the participation of high-level officials and experts.