The International Development Finance Club (IDFC) held its first Sherpa Meeting of 2026 on 5–6 February in Tokyo, bringing together the representatives of each IDFC member development bank to define the Club’s priorities and activities for the year ahead. The meeting was hosted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at its Takebashi Headquarters and was opened with Welcome Remarks from Mr. Akihiko Tanaka, President of JICA.

Setting the direction for the year ahead

As the first Sherpa Meeting of the year, the Tokyo meeting played a key role in aligning expectations and deciding how IDFC will move forward in 2026. Discussions focused on the international agenda for the year ahead, including preparations for upcoming Finance in Common (FiCS) events and engagement with major global processes such as the G7 and future COPs.
A roundtable session allowed Sherpas to share what their institutions expect from IDFC in 2026, highlighting the importance of coordination among Public Development Banks at a time of financial constraints and increasing pressure on multilateral cooperation.

Advancing the IDFC Facility and governance

Sherpas held in-depth discussions on the IDFC Facility, including the results of the 2025 Member Needs Diagnostic and the presentation of streamlined and rebranded offerings. The meeting provided an opportunity to review governance arrangements, budget commitments, and key decision points related to the Facility’s future funding model, with the objective of ensuring that it continues to effectively support members’ needs.
Governance and internal matters were also addressed, including communication priorities and prospects for the Club, ensuring coherence between strategic ambitions and available resources.

Progress across IDFC Working Groups

The meeting enabled Sherpas to review progress and agree on 2026 roadmaps across IDFC Working Groups, reflecting the breadth of the Club’s agenda:

• Climate Finance, including lessons from COP30, priorities for COP31, carbon markets, transformational finance, and the PDB Guarantee Hub
• Cooperation for Development (C4D), with a focus on rules, regulations and standards, the C4D Investment Forum, and enhanced accountability and tracking
• SDG Alignment, advancing work on assessment tools, peer learning, and mentoring approaches
• Biodiversity, including progress toward IDFC’s collective biodiversity finance commitments and the 2026 roadmap ahead of COP17
• Gender Equality, with discussions on revitalizing the working group, tracking gender finance, and strengthening links with broader initiatives such as the FiCS Gender Coalition

The meeting also benefited from high-level insights from Mr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and former Indonesia’s Minister of Finance, and Mr. Tetsushi Sonobe, Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).
Their presentations addressed the role of public development banks in the current global context, including the role of PDBs in domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) and in developing local-currency bond markets, reinforcing IDFC’s collective ambition to deliver impact aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

Looking ahead

The 1st IDFC Sherpa Meeting of 2026 provided a solid foundation for the year ahead, allowing members to align on priorities, strengthen cooperation, and prepare the next steps of the Club’s work.
IDFC thanks JICA for hosting the meeting and all Sherpas for their active engagement and constructive contributions. The discussions in Tokyo will guide IDFC’s activities throughout 2026, supporting the Club’s mission to advance sustainable development and climate action.