The Road to the SDGs

– Mobilising and blending regional donor resources in an innovative financing model – Expanding accessibility of affordable concessional financing for human development projects in 33 of IsDB’s LDMCs – Leveraging the concessionality of financing and combining the unique capabilities of all partners with robust, impactful development projects – Utilising the collaboration to pilot innovation in project processing within IsDB. ACHIEVEMENTS X The LLF partnership has expanded from the initial two institutions to a total of seven partners including six donor organisations, the most recent addition being the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (formerly DFID). X Three regional donors are part of the initiative besides ISFD, namely Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and Qatar Fund for Development. X US$ 407 million in donor grants has been mobilised for the LLF and made available for allocation to IsDB social development projects. X In addition to donor grants, the LLF makes available additional resources through its Project Preparation and Implementation Facility (PPIF). The PPIF provides the required Technical Assistance (TA) to complex LLF socio-development projects. The TA is not limited to the PPIF, and a number of projects have benefited from additional direct TA from donor partners, including: – US$ 1 million provided for feasibility assessments and other support for the LLF Guinea Conakry Water and Sanitation Project – Engagement of ACT (consulting firm) for the Sahel Sustainable Growth Project. X Technical experts from donors are also involved in providing support in project preparation, and the LLF Impact Committee has constituted a Technical Review Committee which provides input to enhance project quality and technical robustness. X Blending of donor grants with IsDB OCR has substantially increased the concessional financing capacity of IsDB as a whole: – The concessional financing envelope from the LLF was maintained, despite limited lending overall in 2018 and 2019 – The proportion of critical human development financing from IsDB has substantially increased over the last few years thanks to the LLF. X The LLF has gained recognition in the development community and there has been a scaling up of co- financed projects within the LLF. X Beyond co-financing, some development partners are working directly with the LLF in eligible countries to develop proposals and feasibility studies so that MCs can meet the requirements and apply for LLF financing. X The Global Fund has actively worked with and provided TA from its health system, strengthening resources in the Benin, Senegal, and Togo health projects of the LLF. X Despite LLF projects being in complex socio-development sectors, the (average) portfolio processing time remains at par with IsDB prescribed timelines via: – Close follow-up, monitoring, and support to project teams – TA provided to projects from LLF donors and from the PPIF – Incorporation of design methods promoting quicker processing. X LLF projects are expected to impact hundreds of millions of people (0.5 million in agriculture, 560 million in health, +40 million in basic infrastructure, according to WASH). INVESTMENT X The LLF successfully prepared a strong pipeline of projects in MCs from 2016–2020 which were approved by its Impact Committee. X Concessional financing approved by the LLF Impact Committee to- date is US$ 1.54 billion (US$ 370 million in grants; US$ 1.165 billion in OCR). X The projected size of the LLF at conclusion is US$ 1.7 billion, more than the total concessional financing provided from IsDB’s own resources (IsDB loans plus ISFD loans) during the same period, more than doubling IsDB’s offering of concessional financing. X The portfolio includes 35 socio- development (health, agriculture, and basic infrastructure) projects in 22 IsDB MCs, targeting the most vulnerable. X The majority of the 2016–2018 portfolio is already disbursing. Overall disbursement operations stand at over 57%, including the recently approved 2020 projects. X Approximately US$ 210 million has been disbursed to date, with promising results on the ground. L I V E S A N D L I V E L I H O O D S F U N D The total concessional financing provided is US$1.54 billion [ 125 ] T H E R O A D T O T H E S D G s | P R O G R E S S A N D A C H I E V E M E N T S