27 February 2012: In a message to the 10th Plenary Meeting of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged participants to explore innovative mechanisms ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and in support of the international community’s efforts to articulate a post-2015 development agenda.

As a platform of 63 member countries with differing levels of development, alongside international organizations and non-governmental organizations, the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development seeks to promote the implementation and definition of innovative financing mechanisms around the world. The 10th Plenary Meeting was held on 27 February 2012, in Madrid, Spain. Ban further commended the Leading Group for exploring new avenues such as instituting a financial transaction tax and lowering the transfer cost of migrant remittances, noting that as the global recession has constrained government budgets in many countries, the Group’s efforts are more important than ever. He urged the Group to identify mechanisms with the greatest benefit for development, and to move quickly towards implementation of such mechanisms. [UN Secretary-General’s Message][Leading Group Website]