MCDF Joins MFI-WGESS Meeting to Support Environmental and Social Standards Promotion

The Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) participated as an official observer in the spring 2025 meeting of the Multilateral Finance Institutions Working Group on Environmental and Social Standards (MFI-WGESS) held on 13-15 May in Rome. MCDF affirmed its support for MFI-WGESS collaboration to promote environmental and social (E&S) standards that underpin sustainable, high-quality connectivity infrastructure investment.

The MFI-WGESS meeting brought together multilateral finance institution (MFI) heads of environmental and social (E&S) departments to discuss emerging E&S trends, exchange experiences, and explore opportunities for collaboration. The meeting was hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Representing MCDF, Ms. Kisa Mfalila, Senior Environmental, Social, and Governance Advisor to the MCDF CEO, described MCDF’s activities to support information and knowledge sharing and collaboration aimed at boosting the application of International Financial Institution (IFI) E&S standards and good practices in connectivity infrastructure projects.

These activities include MCDF workshops, training sessions, and reports produced in collaboration with IFIs and partners covering climate-smart connectivity infrastructure, innovations in renewable energy technology and connectivity, anticorruption and integrity, and land and asset valuation in involuntary settlement, among other areas.  

MFI-WGESS meeting participants acknowledged MCDF’s focus on E&S priorities and the impact it can have on improving upstream E&S risk and impact management, harmonizing E&S standards across institutions, and enhancing the capacity of borrowers.

The meeting participants also recognized MCDF’s digital platform, JIGSAW, as a repository for training resources and a potential platform to facilitate the dissemination of country system assessment results across MFIs and development partners.

Ms. Mfalila went on to highlight MCDF’s grant support for project preparation and capacity development to ignite connectivity infrastructure projects that apply IFI E&S standards, in coordination with accredited MCDF Implementing Partners such as IFAD, governments, and other development partners.

Examples include a USD2.4 million MCDF grant to support an African Development Bank initiative to promote E&S safeguards in African countries through regional and country-level E&S training, and technical support for E&S policy framework implementation.

Another example is a USD829,500 MCDF grant which includes funding for Environmental and Social Safeguards Community of Practice seminars which have to date examined wind power, intermediated finance, and sustainable transport projects. These capacity building and knowledge-sharing events are being implemented by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

MFI-WGESS meeting participants underscored the importance of this work for strengthening E&S alignment and collaboration vital to high-quality connectivity infrastructure growth and the future of sustainable development.