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World Without Hunger Conference
- Day 1
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Day 2
- High level opening ceremony
- Global leaders debate: A collaborative dialogue on innovative strategies and scalable investment solutions
- Post-harvest management for enhanced food system and nutrition security in Ethiopia
- Innovative solutions for agri-business development: the example of the coffee value chain
- Global leaders debate: Scaling food security impact: Opportunities of cooperation with associations, philanthropists, and development finance institutions
- Investment matchmaking forum
- Presentation of the Transformation Pathways Fund (TPF)
- High-impact solutions to tackle food security (co-organized with Deloitte)
- Bridging technology and investment: The ITP network's approach
- Day 3
The issue:
The world is experiencing a series of global crises with far-reaching consequences, including extreme poverty and hunger. In its 2023 Financing for Sustainable Development Report, the Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development emphasized the importance of sustainable economic and industrial development and the need to scale up investment in sustainable industrial transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A world without hunger needs a strengthened, sustainable and more resilient agri-business, for which considerable investments and suitable policies are required. However, current overall investment flows are limited. Blended finance can be a bridge to increase access to critical investment capital, advance sustainable practices in the agri-food sector, make it more resilient to climate change and increase its output to feed a growing world population. This session will thus present the Transformation Pathways Fund (TPF), which is an innovative financial mechanism co-designed and co-implemented by UNIDO and its partner Finance in Motion (FiM), a reputable global impact fund manager.
Objectives:
The session will seek to answer the question “What does it take to transform industry to become sustainable and more resilient to contribute to ending hunger, sustainable supply chains and decarbonization?”
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The framework conditions and challenges will be presented.
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The main elements of the Transformation Pathways Initiative (TPI), namely the Transformation Pathways Fund (TPF) and the Transformation Pathways Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) will be introduced.
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The session will present the TPI approach to invest for transformation that will contribute —among other objectives — to a world without hunger.
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It will introduce the model of blended finance, mobilizing private capital for the SDGs.
Key guiding questions:
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Which challenges will be addressed, and which key objectives will be achieved by TPI?
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How can private capital be mobilized for economic transformation in industrializing countries ?
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Which main solutions will be promoted by TPI, and how can UNIDO stakeholders benefit from them?
Expected outcomes:
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The session will have announced and presented the Transformation Pathways Initiative that comprises the Transformation Pathways Fund and the Transformation Pathways Technical Assistance Facility.
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The partnership between UNIDO and Finance in Motion to co-design and co-promote the Transformation Pathways Initiative will be shared with the public.
Session format and structure:
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The TPI will be presented by Mr. Gunther Beger (Managing Director, UNIDO), Ms. Sylvia Wisniwski (CEO, Finance in Motion), and Mr. Karim ould Chih (Chief Advisor Innovative Finance, UNIDO).
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It is envisaged that Mr. Gerd Müller (Director General, UNIDO) will deliver a statement to announce the establishment of the Transformation Pathways Fund.
Moderator
Ms. Fiona Muthoni Naringwa, Business Journalist and Host, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency
Fiona Muthoni Naringwa is an enthusiastic journalist and adept moderator, recognized for her exceptional skills as one of Rwanda's leading business journalists. She currently hosts a weekly business program on Rwanda Broadcasting Agency and she served as a senior producer and anchor on CNBC Africa's flagship market show, Power Lunch East Africa for 6 years.
Presentation by
Mr. Gunther Beger, Managing Director, Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, UNIDO
Gunther Beger is UNIDO Managing Director of the Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, responsible for the development of innovative services in areas of agro-industry, sustainability standards, fair production, and climate-improving technologies.
Prior he severed as Executive Director for Germany at the World Bank Group, as Director General in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and held several leadership positions in the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.
Mr. Karim Ould Chih, Chief Advisor Innvovative Finance, UNIDO
Karim ould Chih is Chief Advisor Innovative Finance with UNIDO in Vienna. He is leading a team to conceptualize and establish the Transformation Pathways Fund to enable SME in the Global South to adopt sustainable business models. Prior to joining UNIDO in 2023, Karim was working +20 years at KfW Development Bank, most lately as Managing Director of a KfW subsidiary to promote green hydrogen in the Global South.
Ms. Sylvia Wisniwski, Chief Executive Officer, Finance-in-Motion
Sylvia is the CEO of Finance in Motion, the dedicated impact asset manager and advisor. With 16 global offices, c.300 staff and c.€4bn in assets, Finance in Motion helps investors future-proof their portfolios while driving impact for people and planet. Sylvia unites her global emerging markets expertise with a desire to make a difference. In total, Sylvia has spent 30 years working in over 30 countries, mainly in consulting and leadership roles on finance and investments. Her life has always been international, centered on emerging markets. Even before starting her professional career, she spent half of her MA studies in International Relations in Colombia. She was among the first European students to do this.
After university Sylvia was selected for the post graduate program of German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS, previously known as GDI), which involved a placement in the Bolivian financial sector. Following this program, she joined the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), continuing her work in Bolivia, before moving back to Europe. Sylvia spent the next seven years as Director of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, during which time she became COO of the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE). She held this leadership position for almost five years before co-founding Finance in Motion in late 2005, which boasts EFSE as one of its Article 9 funds.
Sylvia holds both an M.A. in Political Science and Sociology and an MBA from Tübingen University as well as an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Miami, Florida.