4 December is celebrated as International Banks Day in recognition of the important capacity of multilateral development banks and other international development banks in providing information and financing for sustainable development.

On 19 December 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 74/245, which designated 4 December as International Banks Day in recognition of the important capacity of multilateral development banks and other international development banks in providing information and financing for sustainable development. In September 2015, the General Assembly adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, and reaffirmed its commitment to work tirelessly towards the full implementation of those goals by 2030. Extreme poverty, which includes poverty in all its forms and dimensions, is the greatest global challenge and an essential need for sustainable development. The Goals seek to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner, building on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and addressing their unfinished work. Achieving sustainable development – particularly eradicating poverty, reducing inequality and combating climate change – requires a long-term perspective, in which governments, the private sector and civil society work together to tackle global challenges.