Difficulties in raising sufficient domestic and external resources to finance the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), along with the numerous drawbacks of traditional aid, are leading the quest for innovative sources of development finance. The World Economic and Social Survey 2012 analyses current and proposed mechanisms for innovative development finance and highlights mechanisms that can 1) increase the scale of development financing available and 2) provide stable and predictable financing to enhance sustainable development. The Survey confirms the potential of innovative development financing to mobilize substantial resources for international priorities, but concludes that realizing this potential requires strong political will to follow through on available proposals as well as transparency in the allocation and management of those resources.