The Special Development Fund (SDF) continued to play an almost indispensable role in the aid architecture of the Region. The core themes of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building resilience to climate change and natural hazards and supporting regional cooperation and regional public goods resonated with beneficiary countries, which accessed both loans and grants to advance their development agenda. The themes, which were augmented by cross-cutting areas of gender equality, good governance and environmental sustainability reflected the multi-sectoral nature of development and assisted in ensuring the provision of comprehensive and sustainable development solutions.

Total approvals in 2018 amounted to $33.5 mn, compared with $95.9 mn a year earlier. This brings total commitments in the first half of the cycle to $129.4 mn or 36.5% of the approved programme.