Sevilla, Spain
Majesty King and Queen of Spain,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Dear Colleagues,
As SG of the conference, it is a profound honour to welcome you to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.
A profound gratitude goes to our host, the government of Spain, for its firm support and warm hospitality.
This week marks a key moment in our effort to ensure every country — not just a privileged few — can mobilize the resources necessary to build a just, inclusive, and sustainable future.
The global financing for development process has evolved over the past two decades. From the Monterrey Consensus to the Doha Declaration, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, our journey has been anchored in multilateralism and solidarity.
Each step was shaped by the realities of its time. Today, however, that framework is under profound stress.
Global financing needs for developing countries to achieve the SDGs now exceed $4.2 trillion annually, yet official development assistance (ODA) remains stagnant or declining. At the same time, external debt servicing now consumes over 20% of public revenues in many low-income countries. Climate finance commitments remain unfulfilled.
In this fractured global landscape—marked by ongoing wars, economic fragmentation, heightened trade tensions, and declining trust in global institutions—our foundational commitments are being tested like never before.
Excellencies,
FFD4 offers us a once-in-a-decade opportunity to shift the tide. The Sevilla Commitment is more than an outcome document. It is a new framework and a renewed global promise—to mobilize finance at scale, to reform the international financial architecture, and to put people’s needs at the center of development.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has been honored to walk alongside Member States, UN system and stakeholders every step of the Journey.
Through months of negotiation, Member States forged the impactful and action-oriented Sevilla Commitment.
As one minister put it during negotiations, “This is not about charity. This is about justice—fiscal justice, climate justice, and generational justice.”
Through genuine dialogue and exchange, we have strengthened trust, broadened consensus, and revived the spirit of multilateralism.
Excellencies,
Sevilla is not an endpoint. It is a launchpad for a new era of implementation, accountability, and solidarity.
UNDESA is ready to support Member States in translating the Sevilla Commitment into tangible action:
• By tracking progress and ensuring transparency,
• By building national and institutional capacity, and
• By fostering continuous dialogue among all partners.
We believe that this is not just about raising capital. It is about rebuilding trust, expanding opportunity, and empowering every country to shape its own sustainable future.
Let us rise to this moment—with unity, ambition, and shared determination—to finance a better world for all.
Thank you.