– Equitable transition and south-south cooperation
Vienna, Austria — The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) will convene global leaders, policymakers and innovators for its fourth Development Forum on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Vienna, Austria, under the theme A Transition that Empowers Our Tomorrow. The Forum will spotlight inclusive growth, climate resilience and the power of South-South cooperation in advancing equitable and sustainable development.
OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa will open the Forum alongside President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania and Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan of Saudi Arabia. Senior government officials from across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin American and the Caribbean, along with heads of multilateral institutions, will join forces to drive solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
President Alkhalifa said: “Today’s interconnected crises – from climate change to economic volatility – demand institutions that are agile, responsive and resolute. The OPEC Fund stands firmly with our partners and with the Global South. Our Development Forum is not just a platform for dialogue – it is a catalyst for collective action and transformative impact. Together, we can transform adversity into opportunity.”
The 2025 Forum will tackle four high-impact themes: financing development, climate resilience, digital inclusion and sustainable transitions for vulnerable economies. Sessions will focus on generating actionable ideas and partnerships that can accelerate progress toward the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. A series of cooperation agreements will be signed to further strengthen South-South partnerships.
Confirmed speakers at the OPEC Fund Development Forum include the Vice-President and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Botswana, Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe, the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos; the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele; the Minister of Finance of Nigeria, Adebayo Olawale Edun; the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, Mikayil Jabbarov; the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Guinea, Ismaël Nabé; the Minister of Finance of Nepal, Ghanshyam Upadhyaya; and the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda, Yusuf Murangwa.
Institutional leaders participating include the President-elect of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and current President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Sidi Ould Tah; the Executive President of CABEI, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Gisela Sánchez; the Executive President of CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Sergio Díaz-Granados; the President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Daniel M. Best, and the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser.
On June 16, one day prior to the Development Forum, the OPEC Fund will host the annual meeting of the Heads of Institutions of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG), followed by a high-level roundtable on Mauritania with President Ghazouani to mobilize coordinated support for Mauritania’s national development priorities, particularly in energy, food security and infrastructure.
The week’s activities will culminate with the OPEC Fund Ministerial Council and Governing Board meetings on June 18, where new projects supporting sustainable development will be approved.
