Lives and Livelihoods Fund brings Together Thought Leaders to Advance Prosperity and Sustainable Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East
Algiers, The Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) concluded its Transforming Lives and Livelihoods Forum: Mobilize for Impact on May 22, 2025, at the Djemila Auditorium during the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Annual Meetings. This pivotal event convened ministers, development experts, and financial leaders, fostering nuanced discussions that illuminated pathways to address poverty, inequality, and climate challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Moderated by James Carty, Head of Middle East and East Asia Gates Foundation, and Syed Husain Quadri, Director of Resilience and Climate Action, Islamic Development Bank – the forum’s two panel sessions delivered strategic advancements through thoughtful exchange.
The first panel, Bridging National and Global Development Goals, featured H.E. Ahmed Shiyam, Maldives’ Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, H.E. Henry Musa Kpaka, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and H.E. Jamoliddin Abdullozoda, Tajikistan’s Minister of Health and Social Protection. The session explored how LLF empowers national governments to fulfill global commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by providing tailored financing and technical expertise.
LLF’s support was recognized for enabling the Maldives to enhance sustainable fisheries management, Sierra Leone to bolster agricultural productivity, and Tajikistan to strengthen health systems, aligning national priorities with international frameworks. The dialogue culminated in three countries pledging to adopt LLF’s community-focused models to advance policy coherence and local ownership, reinforcing global development goals.
The second panel, Financing Impact: Converging Capital and Collaboration for Inclusive Growth, included Greta Bull of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gurbuz Gonul of IRENA, Julia Neilson of the OECD, and Sofiane Mazari of Crédit Populaire d’Algérie.
Centered on access to finance and debt sustainability, the session highlighted LLF’s innovative financing model, which blends grants with concessional loans to fund critical projects in health, agriculture, and infrastructure without exacerbating debt burdens. This approach was praised by the panelists for easing fiscal pressures on lower-income countries while enabling scalable investments.
Panelists proposed additional solutions: Mazari championed sovereign sukuk to attract private capital for development projects, Gonul advocated for renewable energy financing to lower operational costs and enhance energy access, Bull emphasized scaling women’s economic collectives to broaden financial inclusion, and Nielson proposed policy reforms to improve trade and investment frameworks, ensuring equitable access to finance. These ideas, sharpened through rigorous discourse, are expected to inspire new programmatic commitments to bolster LLF’s financing framework.
The forum sparked new collaborations among governments, donors, and private sector leaders, reinforcing LLF’s role as a key driver of sustainable development in the global south. The panel outcomes and key takeaways underscored LLF’s impact in enhancing millions of lives through diversified incomes, resilient infrastructure, and robust health systems, setting a benchmark for global cooperation.
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ABOUT THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS FUND (LLF)
The Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) is a US$ 2.5 billion development initiative launched in 2016 and funded by an unprecedented global coalition including Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), Gates Foundation (GF), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), and Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). Its goal is to lift the poorest out of poverty across 33 IsDB member countries by addressing 9 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through projects in health, agriculture, and basic infrastructure.
ABOUT OUR DONORS
About Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is an autonomous UAE institution, committed to advancing sustainable development worldwide in alignment with the national vision. Established in 1971 by the Abu Dhabi government, dedicated to fostering economic development and sustainability in developing countries. ADFD plays a pivotal role in promoting the UAE’s commitment to global development by financing key projects across various sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Additionally, ADFD provides innovative financial solutions that enhance the competitiveness of Emirati exports and support the national private sector in accessing unique investment opportunities. The fund adopts a diversified investment strategy, engaging in direct investments in high-quality projects to stimulate economic growth in partner nations. Over the past half-century, ADFD has supported 106 developing countries, with its projects and investments totalling approximately AED 216 billion. These efforts have significantly contributed to global progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To know more visit www.adfd.ae
About Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the Foundation works with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their future and achieve their full potential. In the United States, it aims to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the Foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Chair Bill Gates and our board of trustees.
About Islamic Development Bank Group
Rated AAA by the major rating agencies of the world, the Islamic Development Bank is the pioneering multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Global South that has been working for over 50 years to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves by delivering impact at scale. The Bank brings together 57 Member Countries across four continents, touching the lives of nearly 1 in 4 of the world population. It is committed to addressing development challenges and promoting collaboration to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by equipping people to drive their own green economic and sustainable social progress, putting planet-friendly infrastructure in place and enabling them to fulfil their potential. Headquartered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, IsDB has 10 regional hubs and a center of excellence. Over the years, the Bank has evolved from a single entity into a group comprising: the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI); the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC); the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD); the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC); and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD). Protected
About Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development
The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), established in 2007 as the poverty alleviation arm of the Islamic Development Bank, is dedicated to eradicating poverty and fostering inclusive, equitable growth across IsDB member countries. Through concessional financing and grants, the ISFD empowers vulnerable populations by enhancing productive capacities, creating sustainable income opportunities, and promoting human capital development.
With a particular focus on women and youth as catalysts for sustainable development, the ISFD addresses the root causes of poverty through innovative programs in education, economic empowerment, community development, and health, aiming to drive transformative change within communities. Through strategic partnerships with the Islamic Development Bank, member countries, donors, and key stakeholders, the Fund delivers targeted interventions that build resilient communities and advance socioeconomic development. Committed to its vision of reducing poverty in the member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, the ISFD remains a key driver of sustainable development, aligning its efforts with the broader goals of the Islamic Development Bank and the sustainable development goals.
About King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) is Saudi Arabia’s helping hand to the world. Since its establishment in 2015, KSRelief has reached over 100 countries in less than a decade, implementing thousands of projects in collaboration with numerous humanitarian partners. The organization focuses on various sectors, including health, food security, humanitarian and emergency aid coordination, protection, water and environmental sanitation, education, and more. With a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups, especially women and children, KSRelief has worked tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of millions in need worldwide.
About Qatar Fund for Development
QFFD functions as a linchpin, weaving together various entities within Qatar, from state institutions to humanitarian organizations and UN agencies. The Fund promotes innovation and maintains predictability and flexibility in financing development and humanitarian interventions that build resilience in countries, communities, and individuals in need, lead a better future, give hope, and promote peace and justice.