Usman Nizami (MPP 2018) jointly developed a report on 'How Islamic finance contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals'. The report was developed as part of his summer project (a core component of the Master of Public Policy), and was launched by the OECD on 1 December in an online webinar which convened high-level officials from the OECD and Arab countries and institutions, including the President of the Islamic Development Bank and the Chair of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
The webinar examined how Islamic finance – which represents USD 2.5 trillion – can be leveraged for development through awareness raising, promoting transparency and encouraging joint Arab-DAC partnerships. It also enabled major providers of Islamic finance for development to discuss their experiences and the challenges of promoting Islamic finance for sustainable development in the context of COVID-19.
Usman is currently Head of Policy for Syria, Lebanon and Turkey at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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