From Promise to Practice: The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and What It Means for Vulnerable Developing Countries – A Conversation with Ibrahima Cheikh Diong
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
4:00 pm to 5:45 pm
- Venue
- SOAS University of London
- Room
- DLT
About this event
The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) marks a critical shift in global climate action – from years of political dialogue to a new era of implementation.
As climate-related losses continue to disproportionately affect vulnerable developing countries, from African nations facing devastating floods and droughts, to Pacific Island States confronting rising seas and the permanent loss of land, and to Asian countries bearing the escalating costs of extreme weather events, the need for rapid, accessible and country-led financing has never been more urgent.
With its inaugural call for funding proposals now closed and the Fund entering full operations, join Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, the FRLD’s inaugural Executive Director, for a guest lecture and fireside conversation with Professor Ulrich Volz, the Director of the SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance, on what this means in practice, how countries access finance, what loss and damage looks like on the ground, and what the Fund's operationalisation signals for the future of global climate finance ahead of COP31.
This event is free and open to all. Registration is required.
Header image credit: Loic Leray via Unsplash.
About the speaker
Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, a seasoned development leader and global policy strategist, is the inaugural Executive Director of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD). His appointment marks a fundamental milestone in the operationalization of the Fund, which aims to deliver critical financial support to developing countries most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. An experienced strategist with three decades of expertise in climate action, finance, and multilateral diplomacy, Mr. Diong is uniquely positioned to steer FRLD’s operationalization and ensure equitable support for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
His career spans across disciplines, combining public service as a policy maker in Senegal, executive leadership roles in public and private finance, and high-impact roles in international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Diong served as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director General of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group, a specialized agency of the African Union, where he spearheaded institutional reforms and scaled ARC’s work in disaster risk financing across Africa.
Before joining the ARC Group, he served, amongst other senior roles, as a Special Representative of the President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) on Environmental, Social, and Governance matters, Manager at the World Bank Group, Minister, Special Adviser to the President of Senegal, Permanent Secretariat of Energy of Senegal, Director General of International Cooperation of Senegal, Senior Africa Banker at BNP Paribas, Chairman of the National Airlines of Senegal, and Africa Director at Booz. Allen & Hamilton. Fluent in English, French, and Mandarin Chinese, Mr. Diong holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs, specialized in international finance and environmental policy from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University.
