UNCTAD facilitates the Borrowers' Platform's first workshop in Maldives - a first step in fostering peer learning among borrowing countries

The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises of Maldives and the Ministry of Finance of Pakistan, convened a four-day workshop as the first peer learning activity of the Borrowers’ Platform. The workshop was opened by the Hon. Minister of State for Finance and Public Enterprises, Mr. Hassan Miras, and the UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, Mr. Hao Zhang. It brought together technical officials from nine countries spanning different regions, income levels, and debt profiles to exchange experiences on debt management and the development of domestic capital markets.

The discussions focused on practical, country-level experiences with a shared focus: the practical steps countries can take to develop domestic capital markets and manage their risk profiles, built on sound analysis, functional institutional framework, and enabling international financial architecture. Debt management practitioners from participating countries shared their recent experiences, including the challenges navigated and progress made. The exchanges underscored a shared reality: many borrowing countries face similar constraints, yet they have historically lacked a dedicated forum to share and learn from each other directly.

The Platform is a dedicated space for developing countries to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and speak collectively on debt challenges of borrowers. 

When borrowing countries finally have a dedicated space to exchange among peers, the impact is immediate: first-hand practitioner knowledge flows, common challenges bring forward solutions proven in similar contexts, and hesitation can be turned into action.

As the inaugural peer-learning event of the Borrowers' Platform, the workshop demonstrated the value of structured dialogue among borrowing countries and laid the foundation for deeper cooperation, in the years ahead.

The initiative of Borrowers’ Platform was launched in April 2026, with many developing countries and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in attendance. The establishment of the Borrowers’ Platform was agreed under the Compromiso de Sevilla, the outcome document of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), held in Seville, Spain in July 2025. 

The Platform will inaugurate its first full annual cycle in October 2026. Member states are looking forward to additional workshops, technical exchanges, and collaborative activities that will create new opportunities for borrowing countries to share knowledge, strengthen capacity, and build a stronger presence within the global debt architecture.

The message emerging from Malé was clear: when countries facing similar debt and development challenges come together, they generate practical solutions rooted in lived experience. 

As many developing countries, including Maldives, navigate complex landscapes to strengthen debt sustainability, this workshop signals the first step to turn these peer learning exchanges into a lasting network of cooperation, one that strengthens learning, fosters cooperation, and amplifies the collective voice of borrowing countries in global debt discussions.