CEDA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RE-ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF AADFI AND WFDFI

Mr. Thabo Thamane was first elected the Chairman of the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) in June 2019 at the 45^th Ordinary General Assembly held in Malabo Equatorial Guinea. This signaled a take-over of the Chairmanship from the immediate past Chairman, Mr. Patrick Dlamini, Chief Executive officer of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

Based on the confidence reposed on his leadership by the members of the Association, Mr. Thamane, was re-elected for the second term by the 47^th General Assembly of the Association held on 30^th June 2021.

As the Chairman of AADFI, he is also the Chairman of the World Federation of Development Financing Institutions (WFDFI). The WFDFI is the global body for development finance institutions comprising members of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP); The Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions (ALIDE); the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI); the European Long Term Investors Association (ELTI), Europe.

THE REMARKABLE/GIANT STRIDES OF MR. THABO THAMANE SINCE ASSUMING THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF AADFI AND WFDFI.

1. Strengthening of the Association’s Secretariat

• Upon his election in 2019, he realized that for the Association to serve its members effectively and efficiently, there was need to re-engineer the Secretariat which implement the decisions of the Association. Thus, despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Thamane ensured that the operations of the Association were sustained.
• The Board of Directors of the Association adopted to the new normal meeting virtual to take far-reaching decisions on enhancing the operation of the Association. The meetings culminated in the Review of the Constitution, By-Laws, Staff Rules, and Staff Regulations of the Association. These revisions were aimed at strengthening the Association in line with the best practices. These changes enhanced the new strategic focus of the Association under the new leadership.

2. Enhanced Engagement with Key Stakeholders

• There has been an enhanced engagement with stakeholders since the takeover by Mr. Thamane. He has engaged more frequently with the African Development Bank, and other Multilateral Development Banks with a view to improving support to Development Finance Institutions, particularly the national development financing institutions in Africa. As a result, the traditional relationship with the African Development Bank (AfDB) became more robust. The Bank partnered with the Association in the conduct of its activities, in addition to extending support to some AADFI members.
• Mr. Thamane sustained this drive culminating to his contribution and commitment to the organization of the first Finance in Common Summit, held in partnership with the International Development Finance Club and the World Federation of Development Financing Institutions (WFDFI). The Finance in Common Summit was the partnership initiative agreed upon by Mr. Thabo Thamane as the Chairman of the WFDFI, and Mr. Rémy Rioux, CEO of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Chairman of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC), during their World Bank Meeting in Washington DC, in October 2019.
• The Finance in Common Summit brought over 450 public development banks from across the globe, and other development partners in an effort to generate support towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The participation and visibility of Mr. Thamane at this partnership has continued to generate attention towards African development.
• Furthermore, the Finance in Common Summit Spring Meeting held in May 2021 with the African Development Bank, the AADFI and the IDFC further resonated the championing of mobilization of resources for development in Africa. The Finance in Common Spring meeting served as input to the Summit for Financing of Africa hosted by the President of France in May 2021.

3. The Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Partnership

• The AADFI was admitted as a member of the Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Partnership following Mr. Thamane’s engagement to expand opportunities for DFIs in Africa in mobilizing resources for development. The admission of the AADFI as a non-paying member of the MFW4A Partnership was to strengthen the efforts of AADFI members, particularly the national DFIs, in collaborating with members of the MFW4A Partnership in the areas of resource mobilization and financing of the SDGs and Paris Agreement projects in Africa.
• The MFW4A Partnership is an initiative to support the development of African financial sectors. A platform for African governments, the private sector, and development partners to coordinate financial sector development interventions across the continent, avoiding duplication, and maximizing developmental impact. The MFWFA Partnership is hosted by the AfDB.

4. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Agreement

• Under the leadership of Mr. Thamane, the Association signed a Partnership Agreement with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on the sidelines of the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) held in November 2020. The partnership is to strengthen the relationship with AFD in support of member DFIs in resource mobilization, and promoting SDG projects.

5. Promoting the Sustainability Agenda & Strengthening of African DFIs

• The AADFI became more involved in promoting the sustainability agenda and the Paris Agreement among its member DFIs. The activities under this action ensured that AADFI member DFIs imbibed the idea of Sustainability in their operation. This is in line of the conviction of the Mr. Thabo Thamane leadership of the Association on the importance of entrenching and advancing sustainability agenda in DFI’s DNA.
• In this regard, the partnership with the European Organization for Sustainable Development (EOSD), Germany, was strengthened. The AADFI also entered into partnership with the EOSD on the implementation of the Sustainability Standards & Certification Initiative (SSCI).
• As a result, a number of members DFI have been Sustainability Certified by the EOSD under the SSCI Initiative. The SSCI is intended to scale up the capacity of national DFIs to be financially strong to facilitate innovative resource mobilization and deployment of capital for better sustainable development impact.

6. The Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility

• Still In furtherance of the sustainability agenda, the AADFI under the leadership of Mr. Thamane, entered into partnership that provided support for capacity-building from Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility. The capacity building support was directed at promoting sustainability agenda.