Global Developmental Agencies at Work
On September 14th, the seventh session of the Certified Economic Diplomat Program at the Institute of Economics and Finance in Ghana featured a trio of eminent speakers who provided deep insights into the functions and impact of global development agencies. Ute Reisinger , Senior Environmental and Social Development Specialist at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ricardo Gomez Puternicki , Senior Counsel at the OPEC Fund for International Development, and Florian Peter Iwinjak , External Relations Officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), each shared their perspectives on how their respective organizations contribute to international development. Ute Reisinger opened the session with a comprehensive overview of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and their role in financing sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on Africa. She traced the origins of DFIs to the Bretton Woods institutions—the International Monetary Fund (IM