MALI

UNCDF has been present in Mali since 1982. Over the past three decades UNCDF has worked to improve Mali's planning capacity and management of local development, particularly in municipalities that are highly vulnerable to food insecurity.

Today, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF has contributed to the women’s economic empowerment in Mali through the identification, development, financing and supporting implementation of sustainable and gender-sensitive investments. UNCDF specifically supported the Mali Development Bank in launching a credit guarantee fund to deliver financial relief to women SMEs in the Mopti region in Mali. The objective has been to strengthen value chains across the two regions, helping women in Mopti to increase their economic activities, and find new markets and commercial partners in Bamako.

Additionally, UNCDF is implementing Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) programme, designed to help Mali government channel global climate adaptation financing to local level and cope with increased cost of building resilience against climate change and natural disasters. The Mali Government signed a joint Ministerial Declaration calling for LoCAL to become a long-term initiative that supports implementation of the LDC5 vision.