NAIROBI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Governments and industry partners must step up financing for sustainable development to cushion vulnerable communities from poverty, climate crisis, hunger and resource-based conflicts, officials told a forum held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Thursday.

Kenya is hosting the Annual Policy Dialogue 2025 on Financing for Sustainable Development themed "Driving Sustainable Futures for All."

Convened by Club de Madrid, an international not-for-profit governance lobby, the two-day forum brought together former heads of state and government, policymakers, representatives of multilateral lenders, the private sector, academia and civil society to chart a new roadmap for financing the sustainability agenda.

Kenyan President William Ruto said the inaugural annual dialogue on financing sustainable development, to be held in Africa, serves as a wake-up call for mobilizing greater resources to realize resilient and inclusive growth.

"The forum recognizes the centrality of adequate, accessible and fair financing as a key driver for the realization of a sustainable development agenda," Ruto said in a speech read on his behalf by Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale.

Ruto acknowledged that geopolitical tensions, the climate crisis, global economic slowdown and conflicts have undermined efforts to bridge funding gaps toward sustainable development, escalating poverty and inequality in the Global South.

The Kenyan leader stressed that reforming the global financial architecture, making it inclusive and aligning it with the needs of developing countries will be key to unlocking the resources that are required to accelerate green and resilient growth.

In a video message, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that adequate financing is key to realizing the goals of freeing humanity from hunger, poverty, disease and climatic shocks.

Guterres said multilateral lenders should embark on people-centered financing, while governments should leverage private capital and negotiate concessional financing to accelerate growth and ease the debt burden.

The Nairobi forum is expected to generate recommendations on taxation, debt relief and financial system reforms, topics that will be amplified at major global events this year, such as the Group of 20, International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings.

Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia from 2007 to 2012 and president of Club de Madrid, said financing for sustainable development should be considered a global public good to help advance climate justice, equitable growth, peace and stability. Enditem

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