Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN special envoy on financing 2030 Agenda: ‘The crises we face today are far beyond our institutions' capacity’
UN special envoy Mahmoud Mohieldin warns that the global financial system is failing to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. He advocates for localized solutions and increased national resource mobilization to address development challenges.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing disconnect between international financial institutions and the urgent economic needs of developing nations.
By Kasmira Jefford toggleCaption">Economist Mahmoud Moheildin, speaking at the Building Bridges sustainable finance summit in Geneva, on 8 October 2026. (Building Bridges 2026/Laurent Cipriani) As thousands of finance leaders gather in Thailand for IMF and World Bank meetings, the Egyptian economist warns that tackling today’s biggest development challenges will require looking beyond the existing international financial system to more localised solutions.
Mahmoud Mohieldin has spent much of his career mobilising financing to tackle the world’s greatest development challenges. A former senior executive at the World Bank and at the International Monetary Fund, he became the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on financing the 2030 Agenda in 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic began and further derailed progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in