Today, within implementation of the recently launched regional platform on Sustainable Development Goals in Central Asia, funded by the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan organized a Regional workshop on the Development Finance Assessment (DFA).

The key purpose of the Regional workshop on the DFA was to provide an overview of the DFA tool which is an integral element of the Integrated National Financing Framework’s first structural block "Assessment and Diagnostics". DFA is widely used to conduct overall assessment and diagnosis of the country’s financing landscape to identify all available and potential financing sources including public, private, international and others.

The workshop focused on several aspects of the DFA tool such as methodology introduction, sharing experience and lessons learnt with peer countries who has already successfully accomplished DFA and potential ways of approaching the DFA in Turkmenistan. Therefore, national partners from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan introduced their approaches and experience on conducting the DFA and its potential benefits for monitoring and forecasting financing flows important for SDGs achievement.

The workshop was supported by Tim Strawson, International consultant on SDG financing and experts from UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub - Suren Poghosyan, UNDP Regional Adviser for SDG Financing for Europe and the CIS, Mihail Peleah, Innovative Finance Advisor, Programme Specialist Green Economy and Employment and Elena Danilova-Cross, Programme Specialist.

During the workshop participants shared specific cases and approaches which countries have applied while conducting DFA. Country representatives considered this workshop very informative and useful in terms of peer learning and gaining practical experience on overall DFA process. They have also agreed to continue regular consultations on the steps following the DFA and overall INFF implementation phases in the future.

Currently four out five UNDP country teams in Central Asia are jointly working with the relevant national partners on the development of Integrated National Financing Frameworks and have already accomplished DFA analysis. The regional SDG Platform in Central Asia will support Turkmenistan's efforts in conducting DFA as an initial step of the implementation of the INFF.

The seminar was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, as well as other ministries and state agencies – members of the Joint Expert Group on SDG financing.