Welcome to the 2026 Finance for Development (F4D) Partner Forum, taking place June 11–12 in Bern, Switzerland. This year's forum convenes under the theme Towards Scalable Solutions - a call to move toward approaches that can be replicated and scaled across contexts to address pressing financial sector challenges. Over two days, development partners will come together to 1 review F4D's evolution and progress, 2 share solutions that could be replicated or scaled up, and 3 define future strategic directions for F4D.
F4D Partner Forum Presentation Materials
2026 Partner Forum DAY 1 Presentation
For all the presentation slides used during Day 1, click the link below
Download Presentation
File Size: 325 MB
Forum Format
Two-day Hybrid Meeting
DAY 1 will feature technical sessions about emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities across a few selected priority areas (including financial sector stability, digital finance/ inclusion). Sessions should present (i) trends, challenges, opportunities, best practices in EMDEs; (ii) related outcomes/lessons learned through some existing F4D grants. Also showing when relevant how F4D grants help to complement or to leverage other instruments.
Interactive formats will be used during the sessions to facilitate discussions. WB management to lead/ moderate some sessions, but some to be moderated or joined by volunteer F4D partners (see hints within the draft agenda). Speakers will include a wide variety of stakeholders (public sector, private sector, central banks, donors etc.). For country cases, we invite TTLs and/or country officials (mostly on a virtual base). External guests/observers are welcome (Day 1).
DAY 2 is focused on the Partnership Council, starting with a discussion on F4D’s evolution and progress (using findings from Mid-Term Review), followed by a roundtable discussion reflecting donors’ priorities and exchanges on the program’s path forward. This will involve discussions on F4D’s complementarity with other TFs/programs, the need to better serve some countries, and the implementation of the new Knowledge WBG model.
Partner Forum Agenda
| JUNE 11, THURSDAY | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8:00AM | Breakfast and registration |
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| 9:00AM | WB Opening Remarks & Scene-setting (15min) |
Sophie Sirtaine, Global Director, Financial Services Sector, World Bank Group |
| 9:15AM | SECO High Official Opening Remarks (15min) |
Philipp Orga, Head of Operations, Economic Cooperation and Development, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO |
| 9:30AM |
SESSION 1: Financial Sector Stability (1.5h) This session will discuss the evolution of macro-finance risk exposure in EMDEs, best practices (regulation & supervision, bank resolution, deposit guarantee, crisis simulation, crisis management), including complementarity with IMF. The session will feature F4D projects in Ghana, Sri Lanka and Kosovo. |
Presenters
Panel Discussion (Moderator: Saskia de Vries)
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| 11:00AM | Coffee Break (30min) |
|
| 11:30AM |
SESSION 2: MSME Finance (1h) This session will discuss the new landscape of digital finance innovations, the need to strengthen enabling environment and crowd-in funding for these innovations, and opportunities to leverage World Bank lending operations. A Kyrgyz MSME finance (scaling access to investment finance) and TReDS (supporting deepening of SCF) will be featured. |
Presenters
Panel Discussion (Moderator: Harish Natarajan)
|
| 12:30PM | Lunch (1 hour) |
|
| 13:30PM |
SESSION 3: Fintech & Digital Finance to Support Inclusion This session will discuss: Fast Payments and Open Finance (scalable solutions to enhance usage of DFS and inclusion); Digital Assets and AI (next frontiers with potential to accelerate financial inclusion) and; Risks and Safeguards. The session will feature the FASTT program (fast payments) and a project in Peru (open finance). |
Presenters
Panel Discussion (Moderator: Harish Natarajan)
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| 15:00PM | Coffee Break (30min) |
|
| 15:30PM |
Pitch Sessions Three pitch sessions will be brought together in a speed dating format designed to make connections between project teams and current/potential development partners. The session opens with three back-to-back pitch presentations (10 mins each). Donors will then rotate across the thematic tables in timed intervals of 15 minutes each, ensuring every team has the opportunity to engage with the full group of donors. The group will convene into plenary, and each session lead will share the summary of their discussion (5 mins each).
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Moderator: Loic Chiquier, Senior Adviser, Financial Services Sector, World Bank Financial Sector Integrity
Reducing Gender Finance Gap
AgriFinance
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| 17:00PM | Day 1 Closing Remarks |
Sophie Sirtaine, Global Director, Financial Services Sector, World Bank Group |
| 19:00PM |
Welcome cocktail + Dinner Galerie des Alpes Restaurant, Federal Palace (Bundesplatz 3, 3003 Bern, Switzerland) |
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| JUNE 12, FRIDAY | ||
| 8:30AM | Breakfast and Registration |
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| 9:00AM |
F4D Partnership Council (PC members only)
|
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| 10:45AM | Coffee Break (30min) |
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| 11:15AM |
F4D Partnership Council: Donor Roundtable (PC members only)
|
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| 13:00PM | Farewell Lunch |
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Travel & Logistics
F4D 2026 Partners Forum Logistics Note
Download PDF 
Venue
Day 1 • June 11 (Thursday), 2026
Bundesgasse 3
Switzerland - 3003 Bern
Phone: +41 (0)58 462 21 11
Day 2 • June 12 (Friday), 2026
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO
Holzikofenweg 36
3003 Bern, Switzerland
Travel + Accommodations
Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and payment.
Below are some alternative hotel options.
Bellevue Palace
Kochergasse 3-5
3011 Bern, Switzerland
Swissôtel Kursaal Bern
Kornhausstrasse 3
3013 Bern, Switzerland
Best Western Plus Hotel Bern
Zeughausgasse 9
3011 Bern, Switzerland
NH Bern The Bristol
Schauplatzgasse 10
3011 Bern, Switzerland