Sevilla, Spain
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Members of the Press,
Welcome to this press briefing for the International Business Forum 2025.
We are here today because achieving the Sustainable Development Goals demands a fundamental shift. Public funding alone is insufficient; we must unlock the full power and innovation of private investment, particularly in developing countries.
Indeed, private sector is a key stakeholder in the Financing for Development (FFD) process. The outcomes of FFD4 clearly reaffirm the importance of scaling private investment to meet the SDGs.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our partners, including the host country, the FFD4 Business Steering Committee co-chairs, business leaders, and multilateral institutions – for contributing ideas, expertise, and leadership to this shared endeavor.
The International Business Forum provides a unique opportunity for business and policy leaders to forge meaningful partnerships, align strategies, and champion innovative solutions that deliver real impact.
I commend the FFD4 Business Steering Committee and its co-chairs — the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance and the International Chamber of Commerce — for their leadership in shaping this Forum and producing the FFD4 Business Steering Committee Communiqué.
My Department -- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is proud to have launched the Steering Committee and supported its vital work throughout the FFD4 process.
It is significant that Member States have formally recognized these efforts in the FFD4 outcome document. This is a powerful signal of trust, and more importantly, a direct call to action for the private sector to step up. DESA will continue to work closely with the business community and all stakeholders, to ensure that we deliver tangible results together.
We hear directly from businesses not just speaking about change but are driving it. This Forum will address a wide range of themes, from blended finance and SME access to sustainable finance policy and financial regulation.
The Forum’s outcome-driven approach is underpinned by the recognition that collaboration and trust—between sectors, nations, and communities—is built not by words, but by the actions we take together. This is what makes the Forum an ideal platform for actionable public–private dialogue.
Over the next three days, we have an important opportunity to bring forward solutions, forge meaningful partnerships, strengthen collaboration across sectors, and learn from best practices already delivering results.
Let us seize this opportunity to send a clear message -- that the business community is ready to lead, partner, and deliver for people and planet.
Thank you.