About the Conference
The United Nations’ “Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development” (FFD4) is a critical global gathering focused on reforming financing at all levels to support the achievement of the SDGs. Held in Sevilla, the conference offers a unique platform for advancing reform of the international financial architecture and addressing the financing challenges that hinder the urgent investment needed for sustainable development. Bringing together leaders from governments, international and regional organizations, financial and trade institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the UN System, FFD4 fosters high-level dialogue and cooperation to shape a more equitable and resilient global financial system.
Representing The New Global Order ETS, our delegation will provide real-time updates and insights directly from the event, highlighting the most critical discussions and decisions. Our team on the ground will engage with global leaders, policymakers, and experts to bring you in-depth analysis and commentary.
This page will serve as a dynamic platform for our delegates’ observations, offering a comprehensive view of how the summit’s outcomes will influence global governance and policy frameworks. Stay tuned for live updates and expert opinions from our dedicated team at the heart of this significant global event.
The Conference, analyzed by our delegation
Plenary Debate
First Day – Monday, 30 June 2025
12:25 – Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
“To close this gap, we quite simply need a change of paradigm.”
Ursula von der Leyen outlined the current landscape of development financing, noting that last year’s total funding amounted to approximately 200 billion US dollars, while the financing gap remains in the trillions.
She emphasized the need for new approaches to mobilize significantly more finance. Von der Leyen stressed the importance of maximizing the impact of public investment, highlighting that the European Union provides 42% of global development funding and remains committed to this role.
At the same time, she welcomed the entry of new donors and called for combined efforts to achieve greater impact, citing recent agreements reached with India as a positive example of such collaboration.
12:20 – António Costa, President of the European Council
“We will only achieve a world at peace if we bring about sustainable development.”
António Costa linked sustainable development directly with global peace, affirming the critical importance of development efforts in achieving a peaceful world. He acknowledged the challenges facing multilateralism but emphasized that it remains active, citing the conference itself as proof of its continued relevance.
Costa highlighted that the world is still far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and that development funding remains insufficient. He noted that the European Union contributed 95 billion euros to development financing in 2023.
He reiterated the EU’s commitment to reforming the international financial architecture and mobilizing new sources of financing, assuring that the EU will remain firmly dedicated to these efforts.
11:10 – Nigel Clarke, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
Nigel Clarke presented the needs of advancing sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of action at both the national and international levels.
At the country level, he outlined priorities including the implementation of domestic reforms, broadening tax bases, improving public financial management, and redirecting spending toward health, education, and growth-enhancing investments.
At the international level, Clarke stressed the importance of tailored support and coordination, adapted to the specific circumstances of each country. He also underlined the need to address debt vulnerabilities, noting that many countries are still struggling with high refinancing needs and limited capacity to invest in resilience and development.
He detailed how the IMF is supporting countries through policy advice, capacity development, and lending instruments. He highlighted the recent reform of the IMF’s concessional lending framework, which has doubled its capacity, and mentioned ongoing efforts to improve precautionary facilities and provide deeper debt relief to countries facing unsustainable debt burdens.
10:50 – Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group
“We are at an inflection point of development.”
Ajay Banga highlighted the urgency of adapting to major demographic changes, particularly in emerging markets. He referred to the upcoming demographic surge as a “huge opportunity” that must be seized through a new approach to job creation and inclusive growth.
Banga emphasized the role of the private sector and the need to rethink how all actors approach development finance. He drew a distinction between poverty as a material condition and poverty as a matter of dignity: “The state of being you can tackle through money. The state of mind is the dignity that a job gives you every day.”
He concluded by calling for greater focus on employment as a development priority and urged the international community to adopt a more integrated approach to growth and investment.
10:40 – Bob Rae, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
“Strategy without resources is better called hallucination.”
In his remarks to the plenary, Bob Rae emphasized the need for tangible progress, particularly for the most vulnerable countries. He framed the conference as a “unique opportunity” to rethink and remodel the global financial architecture, which he described as currently fragmented and poorly adapted to 21st-century challenges.
Rae underscored that trust and transformation must go hand in hand: “We must build trust, and it starts with each one of us having faith in ourselves.” He called for reforms that would make the global financial architecture more representative, responsive, and resilient.
Referring to the conference’s central outcome, Rae described the Compromiso de Sevilla as a necessary compromise. “It’s not a perfect document,” he noted, “but this is what we need.” He concluded by calling for more effective tools and coordination to respond to present challenges and prepare for those ahead.
10:30 – Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly
“Let us leave this conference ready to act together, with hope, ambition, and the leadership that this moment demands.”
The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Philemon Yang, emphasized the urgent need for global leadership to meet the targets set out in the 2030 Agenda.
With just five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Yang pointed to the persistent and significant gap in financing as one of the main barriers to progress. He called on participants not to scale down their ambitions and stressed the importance of the commitments made under the Pact for the Future, adopted in September 2024, which includes closing financing gaps in developing countries as a central priority.
Yang acknowledged that while the path forward remains difficult, some countries continue to lead by example. He noted that Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden are the only countries currently exceeding their development aid targets.
Concluding his remarks, Yang urged delegates to ensure that this conference becomes a turning point. “Let us make sure that Sevilla will be remembered for what was set in motion,” he said, calling on participants to leave the conference ready to act with shared ambition and purpose.
10:20 – António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
“This conference is not about charity, it is about restoring justice and to facilitate the ability of all people to live in dignity”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres followed by delivering a stark assessment of the current global landscape, warning that development progress and international cooperation are facing severe headwinds.
Guterres recalled earlier achievements made through multilateral action such as reductions in poverty and hunger, improved healthcare systems, expanded access to education, and strengthened social protection. However, he cautioned that these gains are now at risk in a world marked by slowing economic growth, rising trade tensions, shrinking aid budgets, and deepening inequalities.
He noted that two-thirds of the Sustainable Development Goals are currently off track and reaffirmed the estimate that achieving them would require annual investments of more than 4 trillion US dollars. “This is not just a crisis of numbers,” he said, “this is a crisis of people.”
Guterres underlined that the stakes of the conference go beyond financial considerations. He described it as a moment not for charity, but for restoring justice and enabling all people to live in dignity. Framing development as a matter of shared investment in the future, he called for renewed trust in multilateralism and collective solutions to global challenges.
10:10 – Pedro Sánchez, President of the Conference and Prime Minister of Spain
“Let us choose courage over convenience… we have to look beyond the random scars of history called borders.”
In his opening statement at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, Pedro Sánchez presented a series of key messages on the current state of global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He referred to the latest progress report, which indicates that only one-third of measurable SDG targets are on track, and highlighted an estimated annual finae ncing gap of 4 trillion US dollars required to meet the goals.
Sánchez stressed the necessity to renew of the Sevilla Commitment and to launch the Sevilla Platform for Action, which will be introduced later in the day. He also underlined the importance of enabling developing countries to access greater fiscal space to implement their national development strategies.
Finally, he affirmed that in an increasingly fragmented world, inclusive and strengthened multilateralism remains essential, with the United Nations at its core, thus inviting heads of state and delegates to “look beyond the random scars of history called borders.”
FOOTAGE FROM
UNFFD4 CONFERENCE
General Assembly Plenary Sessions
Plenary Meeting, 1st Day
