One of the network’s priorities is shaping policies and practices around financing for development. The Finance in Common Summit is an important initiative in which Forus seeks to influence development processes, with attention to the role of public development banks to deliver concrete actions which are centered on communities, human rights and equity, with people - not profit - at their heart. Forus leads on global CSO coordination in FICS, focusing on joint advocacy related to Climate, Biodiversity, Sustainable Development, Human Rights, Financing for Development, and Civic Space. 

What is the Finance in Common Summit?  

Finance in Common (FIC) is a global grouping that brings together over 400 public development banks (such as the World Bank, the Asia Development Bank, the African Development Bank, etc). PDBs are financial institutions owned by governments that work to channel public resources to the public and private sectors. The French Development Agency (AFD) acts as the host of the FICS secretariat. The FICS secretariat has assisted in the annual coordination of the FICS since the first FICS was convened in Paris in 2020. 

How will this FICS 4th edition look like? 

This year’s FICS is being hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Colombian development bank (Bancoldex) and the Latin American Association of Financial Institutions for Development (ALIDE). It will be in a hybrid format (events in person in Cartagena (Colombia) + online events).  

• Registration Requirements: To participate in the FICS, whether in person or online, registration is mandatory using this form.  

The main themes of the 2023 FICS are: Climate and Biodiversity, Sustainable Infrastructure, PDB Institutional Agenda, Small and Medium Enterprises and Financial Inclusion. Cross-cutting themes are: Social integration and development Impact, mobilization of private capital towards the SDGs, collaboration with civil society and incorporation of human rights in strategies and programs, and perspective of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

How has civil society and the Forus network engaged with FICS in previous years? 

Since the first summit in 2020, members and partners of Forus have actively engaged with the FICS process. In particular, we have called on the Summit to be more open, participatory and inclusive. FICS offers a unique window for grassroots organizations and civil society to criticize the general trends of development financing on a global scale, and bring forward recommendations and proposals for reforms. Several Forus members attended the summit in person last year in Ivory Coast to share the messages of the network, calling for more transparency and accountability and for human rights to be respected in all development processes. 

Resources related to Forus engagement with the FIC Summit:  

• Find the 2020 joint Civil society declaration signed by over 350 organisations here.  

• Discover the 2021 statement here: “Transparency, Inclusiveness and Sustainability”: 3 things Public Development Banks must not forget about at this year’s Finance in Common Summit. 

• Read the 2022 op-ed: Public Development Banks Can’t Drag Their Feet When It Comes to Building a Sustainable Future 

• Follow the campaign page to discover multimedia materials such as videos, podcast episodes and articles.  

• Learn more about Forus’ work on Financing for Development here.  

What is planned for the 2023 FICS? 

• An estimate 15 civil society representatives will speak in the various sessions of the FICS and influence key discussions and debates of the FICS programme. 

• Forus is planning to host an in-person event on Strengthening CSO-PDB Dialogue in Cartagena on September 5. More info here. 

• Forus will have a communications and media plan to publicize CSO joint advocacy messages at the FICS, focused on four themes: Financing for Development; Climate, Biodiversity and Sustainability; Human Rights; and, Civic Space in coordination with our global CSO partners. The plan will include a press release, and a series of video clips and podcasts in A Space for Us to be promoted on social media. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtag #FICS2023 

How can Forus Members and other civil society organisations engage? 

• To join any online sessions, please remember to complete the FICS registration using this form. 

• Be part of Forus@FICS! Whether you will be participating to the FICS in person or not, we invite you to share your advocacy messages with us so that Forus members and partners can amplify them. You can do so by adding your ideas and initiatives to the Form here. 

• You can also join the Coalition for Human Rights in Development’s campaign at the FICS called “Is this Development?” and Let’s Make our Voices Heard! By joining the campaign, you will have the opportunity to send a message to PDBs gathered at the Finance in Common summit (4-6 September, Colombia) and amplify the voices of communities impacted by development projects. Learn more in the social media kit here.