F4D Strategic Focus Areas
Pillar 1
Strengthening Financial Sector Resiliency
Objective
Safe, sound, and resilient financial systems.
Overview
Financial system resilience is vital for sustainable growth and economic stability. F4D aids countries in building strong, transparent, and internationally compliant financial systems. This includes crisis prevention, policy development for critical financial functions, and adoption of best practices with technology for effective supervision.
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Pillar 2
Financing the Poor & Vulnerable
Objective
Increased access and usage of suitable, safe, sustainable, and affordable services for individuals.
Overview
Access to financial services is pivotal for economic opportunities and promoting equitable growth, especially for traditionally marginalized groups like women, youth, displaced, and refugee populations. However, mere access is insufficient; usage of a broad range of suitable financial products and services is imperative to enable full benefits of financial inclusion such as women’s economic empowerment, poverty reduction, ensuring resilience, building human capital, and con-sumption smoothing.
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Pillar 3
Financing the Real Economy
Objective
Reduced financing gaps and broader coverage for business.
Overview
Emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) require private sector financing to support vital sectors like corporations, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), infrastructure, housing, and agriculture. F4D aids countries in filling these critical gaps by focusing on corporate and MSME finance, corporate debt restructuring, and insolvency regimes.
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Pillar 4
Developing Financial Markets
Objective
Enhancing financial markets’ development and competitiveness while increasing private sector participation.
Overview
Under this pillar, F4D supports countries in mobilizing long-term finance by attracting private capital, with a focus on various aspects of capital markets (such as bond markets, sukuk, private equity, venture capital, and equity), derivatives, structured finance, securities market infrastructure, institutional investors (including pensions, insurance, and investment funds), and fostering competition within the financial system.
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Priority Areas
- Banking Regulation & Supervision
- Resolution & Crisis Management
- Greening the Financial Sector
- Financial Integrity
Priority Areas
- Payment Systems & Remittances
- Financial Consumer Protection & Financial Capability
- Enabling Regulatory and Policy Framework for Fintech & MSME Finance
Priority Areas
- Corporate and MSME Finance
- Corporate Debt Restructuring & Insolvency
- Housing Finance
- Infrastructure Finance
- Agriculture Finance
- Global Initiatives
Priority Areas
- Capital Markets Development & Deepening
- Pension, Insurance, and Investment Funds
- Enhancing Competition in the Financial System
Cross-Cutting Themes
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Digital
Gender
What We Deliver
We work with governments, development partners, international organizations, multilateral development banks, and various standard-setting bodies to deliver through:
Country and Regional Engagements:
Advisory services including targeted policy guidance, strategic technical assistance, and capacity building to client governments.
Global Knowledge and Analytics:
Research and analytics to provide actionable insights at regional, country, and local levels, expand a knowledge base of technical and operational best practice, and drive thought leadership.
Partnerships and Convening:
Stakeholder engagement services that bring together key partners, facilitate collaboration, and promote knowledge sharing for strengthened dialogue and learning.
The reinforcing links between F4D’s global, regional, and country work allow our client countries to effectively translate knowledge and cutting-edge developments into good practice. Similarly, key findings from the practical in-country experience inform our research and global analytical engagements.
Partnerships are Key to Our Success
Partnerships and convening services are key to the success of the program implementation.
Most of the F4D portfolio grants are implemented jointly or in close cooperation with other World Bank units and partners, given the multipronged nature of the financial sector. Key stakeholders include the World Bank Global Practices, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and other public and private sector partners across various sectors and industries, international organizations, and standard-setting bodies.
What is an Umbrella Program?
An umbrella program is anchored by a primary, or anchor, multi-donor trust fund and may include associated trust funds.
A single governance structure for all funds in a program—the Partnership Council—brings the World Bank’s management and partners to the same table around common development objectives, helps avoid fragmentation of resources, and increases efficiency.
The Partnership Council endorses the umbrella program’s annual work program and budget after which the World Bank allocates program resources to individual activities.
A unified results framework is developed in consultation with development partners and covers activities funded by all trust funds in a program. It is the key monitoring tool to assess how individual activities are contributing to a program’s overall development objectives. The Partnership Council reviews progress against the unified results framework.
Unified reporting is implemented at the program level with a strong focus on results.
A communication and visibility plan ensures that its strategic communication needs are considered and implemented.