Fifth Plenary Meeting - 4th International Conference on Financing for Development FFD4 (Sevilla, Spain)
Conferences
Date: 2 July 2025
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k10/k10knjpow8
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

---

Chair [0:02]:

I call to order the fifth plenary of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. Distinguished heads of state and government, ministers, excellencies, distinguished participants, the conference now will continue with the general debate on item eight of the agenda. In line with the rules, the statements will not exceed five minutes. I would urge you, if you have longer statements, to read an abridged version and to send the longer version to us so that it can be published online. To help organize time, there will be a timer. In order to be able to listen to all speakers The microphones will switch off automatically when the five-minute time limit runs out. I would like to apologize in advance if some of the speakers have their statements cut short. I give the floor to the representative of Spain, His Excellency Alvarez Bueno, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.


Spain · Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation · Alvarez Bueno [1:33]:

Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, to achieve more and better resources for sustainable development is not only a necessary task, it is urgent. It responds both to the need to address those who find themselves in the situation of the most vulnerability around the planet and is to be added to the important task of of strengthening trust and confidence in multilateralism and international cooperation. The figures of the UN for 2025 regarding the SDGs demonstrate that progress is possible. However, urgent efforts are necessary by all of us. Little more than one-third of SDGs are in the process of being implemented or progressing. We have to work together in this common agenda that we agreed on to 2015. This conference must lay the groundwork for a new global partnership for financing sustainable development with concrete actions. We must ensure that developing countries have the necessary fiscal space to implement their national development strategies. we must consider how we can contribute to bolstering this progress. For Spain, there are two fundamental issues. First of all, our commitment to official development aid. First of all, we call on all our partners to fulfill this goal of achieving 0.7 percent of GDP. Spain has already incorporated this goal in its cooperation policy. We have, we have reiterated the multidimensional aspect of sustainable development and we must include indicators that go beyond GDP, we acknowledge that assistance that continues to be essential. is not enough by itself. We need to mobilize national resources, and we need the contribution of the private sector. We also need an agenda of efficiency and localization of financing that improves the effectiveness of our actions. As far as mobilizing domestic public resources, we must step up support for progressive fiscal systems and combat illicit financial flows and bolster international fiscal cooperation. All these issues are contained in the Seville Commitment. It is the outcome of this conference. in which we have also agreed to improve the sustainability of the debt, strengthen the network of financial security, the representativity of international financial institutions, and the potential for trade, along with innovation and science as motors of development. In Seville, we seek to consolidate the collective commitment to strengthen international financial institutions and development banks and incorporate a mainstream gender perspective in all financing institutions. However, Seville is not the end of the road. We have a lot more to do so that advances are consolidated. We need a follow-up mechanism that ensures accountability and the effective implementation of the commitments and decisions adopted, a mechanism that guarantees the follow-up of the document of results and initiatives presented as the Seville Platform of Action. In the case of Spain, it covers such varied aspects as combating hunger, gender issues, support for metrics that go beyond GDP. debt swaps. Your excellencies, you can count on Spain in this collective effort so that the Seville commitment becomes a reality, this roadmap for the future that we have agreed on to renew the global framework for financing for development and to contribute. And this is the main goal of this conference, to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable world in which every citizen finds their rightful place. Thank you very much.


Chair [6:07]:

I want to thank the Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. I now give the floor to His Excellency Nogue Acosta Hain, Minister of Finance of Costa Rica.


Costa Rica · Minister of Finance · Nogue Acosta Hain [6:35]:

Good morning, Madam Chairperson, Costa Rica is grateful to the Kingdom of Spain for hosting this conference and to the co-facilitators who have led this process with transparency and commitment. My country welcomes the adoption of the Seville Commitment, which offers a roadmap, concrete roadmap, to transform the international financial system, acknowledging the diversity of trajectories and vulnerabilities of the Global South. Allow me to refer to the following points. First of all, it's important to increase official development aid and access to financing in favorable conditions. North-South cooperation must be strengthened for the benefit of middle-income countries such as Costa Rica. In fact, Costa Rica has left that category based on the most recent World Bank report. these countries, middle income countries, have significant gaps, structural gaps that we need to overcome and we need to make efforts to improve the well-being of our inhabitants. Secondly, it's important to rethink the criteria for measuring sustainable development. They should be complemented and go beyond simply the GDP. The current system excludes many countries and transition to development, which require a lot of support. Costa Rica reaffirms the appeal of the member states of the Ibero-American community to have a system based on multidimensional metrics that allows to measure development, adequately allocate cooperation, and generate instruments that support countries in their transition towards sustainable development. Ultimately, development cannot be based on short-term credits. And therefore, we as a country understand that the dynamic of the credit from the private sector has a great deal of potential. The question is what are the most appropriate mechanisms to do this? Ultimately, it's very difficult to provide credit for education that has to be paid off in five years. Secondly, we need to move towards more innovative financial strategies to confront risks, both political risks as well as financial risks, and in particular, natural disasters. Emergency assistance should not exclusively be based on loans. We need instruments that make it possible to mobilize resources to respond. Disaster bonds or specific credits, these mechanisms cannot be too rigid. They must be able to respond to the scale of the events. It's important that these mechanisms are in line with the events that they assist. And it's important that they be linked to targets of resilience and reconstruction. Costa Rica has taken steps in this direction with contingent mechanisms such as CAT, DDO, and comprehensive programs together with the World Bank. We would like to make an appeal to multilateral organizations to share risk with countries through financial instruments that are more just and efficient, and to support design of innovative solutions that allow us to protect lives and rebuild better. And here I'd like to make an appeal to multilateral organizations to share risks. It should not only be countries that are responsible to pay for credits that are extended, but we need to have the necessary support to make better use of these credits. Madam Chair, we must move from words to actions. May this conference not simply be a pleasant memory It must be a turning point. Costa Rica would like to make an urgent appeal to states and international organizations to fulfill their pledges. If we act with courage, coherence, and solidarity, we can build a just, sustainable financial system that is at the service of our populations. Together, let us build a beacon that illuminates us in the middle of a storm. beacon that guides our ships, perhaps will help those that will come after us. Thank you very much.


Chair [11:25]:

I thank the Minister of Finance of Costa Rica, and I now give the floor to Her Excellency Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European -- excuse me, Her Excellency Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore.


Singapore · Senior Minister of State · Sim Ann [11:49]:

Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, First, I wish to thank Spain for hosting this conference in the beautiful city of Sevilla. The FFD4 has been convened at a pivotal moment when the global economy is facing strong headwinds. The annual SDG financing gap, estimated at US$4 trillion, continues to widen, and it is not simply a funding shortfall, but reflects profound structural barriers such as risk aversion and fragmented development finance systems. Singapore's view is that we must not lose sight of two imperatives, vital to the FFD agenda: job creation, and leveraging digitalization to promote sustainable development. Why are these two areas important? First, jobs are a key engine of growth and at the core of human aspirations. Beyond increasing incomes, they enable participation in society. The World Bank estimates that we need more than 600 million new jobs by 2030 to keep pace with demographic expansion. Singapore is happy to contribute to global discussions on this, with our President Dharmapriya Shyamugaratnam co-chairing the World Bank's High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs. Second, digitalization is the indispensable catalyst for development. It is needed to turbocharge efforts in unlocking productivity, in reducing the cost of service delivery, and in connecting public services with all, especially the underserved groups. The question is, how do we mobilize finance at scale to achieve these two imperatives? I would like to make four points. First, we must channel public finance in a way that is disciplined and strategic. We need inclusive and effective tax systems, unwavering anti-corruption efforts, and digitalization to optimize the mobilization of public finance and the efficient use of it on public services. To do this sustainably in the long term, we need to invest in our people. Better skills among those in the workforce will attract better investments, whether domestic or international, which in turn boost employment and raise incomes, further strengthening the pool of domestic resources available for development. Singapore's SkillsFuture initiative, which promotes lifelong learning, skills mastery, and adaptability to changing economic circumstances, is an example of this approach. Second, while public finance is important, it is insufficient to meet development goals. Private finance is indispensable. However, public institutions must underwrite the risk to unlock larger pools of private capital that are risk averse but return seeking. For example, Singapore launched the Financing Asia's Transition Partnership or FASTP initiative. aiming to mobilize up to 5 billion US dollars to de-risk and finance green and transition projects in Asia. The Singapore government has committed up to 500 million US dollars to FAST-P, matching dollar for dollar contributions from other stakeholders. Third, multilateral development banks, or MDBs, must operate better to maximize development impact. We encourage initiatives such as balance sheet optimization, innovations such as hybrid capital, and the better use of guarantees to de-risk marginally bankable projects to attract private capital. Singapore contributes actively to efforts on MDB reforms, including at the G20. Fourth, international cooperation through capacity building remains key to enhancing local solutions. Singapore remains committed to supporting fellow developing countries in human capital development, a cornerstone for growth. The Singapore Cooperation Programme, or SCP, is our primary capacity building platform for developing countries and has benefited close to 158,000 officials from more than 180 countries, territories and intergovernmental organisations. Our programs align with the SDGs in areas such as good governance, digitalization, and sustainability, and we work closely with third country partners and key international organizations. Excellencies, the challenges of FFD are immense, but so is the power of human ingenuity and collective action when we summon political will. Singapore stands ready to work with all stakeholders towards a more effective, inclusive, and accessible international finance system that leaves no one behind. Thank you.


Chair [17:04]:

I thank the Senior Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Home Affairs of Singapore. And I give the floor to the Minister of Sustainable Development of Madagascar.


Madagascar · Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development [17:37]:

President, Secretary General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend my gratitude to His Majesty the King of Spain and to the Spanish people for the exemplary and very warm welcome we've been given here in Seville. On behalf of the President of our Republic, and on behalf of the Malagasy people, on behalf of a vulnerable but determined island nation, I'd like to deliver this statement. Madagascar is a country which is facing climate shocks, development challenges, and global uncertainty. Yet we refuse to give up. The 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs is no longer a far-off prospect. The countdown has begun. And if we continue, as per usual, using the same international financing rules, and this at a time when the most vulnerable countries, well, then the most vulnerable countries will never get to the finish line. Not because, not for lack of trying, but because the system has shut them out. We've come here with a simple conviction: financing for development cannot remain business as usual. Because for countries like Madagascar, it's not about creature comforts or abstract economic growth. It's about resisting drought, drought that's destroying our harvests. It's about getting electricity to our villages, building roads, highways, schools, setting up health systems. In other words, we're trying to ensure our survival and to guarantee that our citizens live in dignity. Madagascar is an island state that's exposed to cyclones, drought, poverty, and food insecurity. Thus, for us, financing for development is not a technical concept. It's a pressing matter. It's a question of survival. And it's also a matter of justice. We've decided to take action, not to complain, but to set ambitious goals with a clear-cut vision and to take structured action. We've kick-started bold reforms with the support of the International Monetary Fund through the IMF's Resilience and Sustainability Facility. By October 2025, we will be adopting a national climate financing strategy. The aim being to channel resources to our national priorities. We're also combating corruption. We're broadening our tax base. And we're making sure that every dollar that we mobilize goes towards the common good. However, these efforts, although they're very genuine, they will only properly bear fruit if we reform international cooperation to make it fairer, to ensure that exhibits greater solidarity, and to ensure that international finance is more accessible. We want to launch an appeal for overseas development assistance, ODA. We believe in innovative financing, green bonds, blended financing, and debt climate swaps. We believe in South-South cooperation, but this cooperation cannot replace commitments on the part of our partners in the North. Thus, we believe that the private sector does provide leverage, of course. However, while the private sector's role is key in strategic sectors such as renewable energies, agribusiness, and sustainable tourism, the private sector cannot be the sole purveyor of financing. International public funds should remain available, predictable, affordable, And last but not least, they should be aligned with our sovereign choices. Excellencies, now is not the time for symbolic statements of intent. The time has come to enact reforms. We must add climate and social vulnerability to the list of criteria for accessing international financing. We need to give countries of the South a greater say in the institutions which set the rules. Madagascar is ready. We're ready to cooperate. We're ready to innovate. We're ready to shoulder our share of our responsibilities. However, we need a global system that's undergone reforms, a system which gives brave countries a fair shot, because being brave isn't enough if you don't have the means to see the job through. I thank you.


Chair [22:33]:

thank the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar. I now give the floor to His Excellency Joven Balbosa, Undersecretary of the International Finance Group, Department of Finance of the Philippines, on behalf of the Like-Minded Group for Middle-Income Countries.


Philippines · Like-Minded Group for Middle-Income Countries · Undersecretary · Joven Balbosa [23:07]:

Madam President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the like-minded group for middle-income countries, composed of Armenia, Belarus, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the Philippines. We thank the government and people of Spain for their gracious hospitality. We congratulate the co-chairs, the preparatory committee, and the co-facilitators of the compromise of the agenda, which adoption we support. FFD4 comes at a time when multilateralism and sustainable development face delivery challenges. Middle-income countries, continue to face fiscal tightening, rising debt burdens, limited access to truly inclusive development cooperation and financing, and increasing external shocks. In this context, it is the middle-income countries themselves that must uphold and strengthen a robust multilateralism that is capable of addressing these pressing challenges. Hence, We welcome the commitment in the Compromiso de Sevilla to address the specific challenges of MICs, including by looking forward to a UN system-wide response plan for MICs. As emphasized in the Makati Declaration adopted at the High-Level Conference on MICs in Manila this year, we must move beyond GDP for a more inclusive approach to international cooperation and access to development finance. To address the middle income trap, we need tailored support for MICs that addresses their specific challenges beyond the simplistic income categorization. We'll engage with the Secretary General's high level expert group to develop such indicators and welcome Spain's initiatives on the Beyond GDP Global Alliance. The Compromiso rightfully stipulates that MICs should be included in the current debt treatment mechanisms, such as the G20 Common Framework. We appreciate the commitment to scale up use of debt swap for SDGs, particularly for climate and nature, as well as improving debt sustainability assessments by considering debt and climate nexus through the work of the expert review on debt, climate, and nature. We also support a UN intergovernmental process for a more inclusive and equitable global debt architecture that ensures participation, transparency, and taking into account national development priorities. We reaffirm the importance of a South-South cooperation and calls to enhance reporting and strengthening triangular cooperation. We appreciate commitments to modernize trade-related infrastructure, expand logistic networks, enhance regional trade corridors to reduce costs and improve global competitiveness, and encouragement of targeted investment facilities for MICs. We join calls to urgently reform the international finance architecture through enhanced representation of developing countries. review of policies on surcharges and SDRs, and increases of quota shares, among others. Finally, while we aim for more ambition, this conference is a crucial step towards more inclusive, just, and responsive financing for development. MICs require global support for structural transformation and in charting long-term solutions, such as through a strategic plan of action for MICs. Madam President, in our national capacity, allow me to deliver the following remarks. The Philippines aligns with the statements of the Group of 77 and China, and ASEAN. With only five years left to achieve the SDGs, we welcome the Compromiso de Sevilla's strong call for international solidarity, scaled-up financing, and multilateral cooperation. We congratulate member states in achieving this important outcome and are proud to have played an active role during negotiations. As the Philippines continue to navigate an increasingly interconnected global environment, this fourth International Conference on Financing for Development comes at a great time to reaffirm the role and importance of international cooperation and multilateralism. We continue to highlight the significance of ODA. Thus, We urge developed countries to fulfill their long-standing commitments, and we call on MDBs to increase their financing capacity and maximize the impact of country projects they are supporting while providing better and concessional lending terms, as well as grants and technical assistance. As a disaster-prone and vulnerable country, we further underscore the need for increased and additional concessional climate finance to support adaptation and mitigation efforts aligned with the Rio Declaration principles. Climate finance should be on top of ODA, should be as readily available as ODA, and must not come at the cost of ODA. While the Philippines has made great strides in modernizing its tax policies to enhance domestic resource mobilization, challenges still remain. On this front, we welcome the commitment to inclusive and effective international tax cooperation, strengthened by investment on digital transformation and alignment of public expenditures with SDGs. The country also continues to tap blended financing, recognizing that private finance can mobilize resources at scale and speed, yet it must complement and not substitute existing ODA commitments. We welcome commitment to increase foreign direct investment in developing countries, especially for food and agriculture, renewable energy, and industrialization. We also reaffirm the positive contribution of migrants and their families and the importance of further reducing transactions costs of remittances and advancing their productive uses. We encourage strong focus on capacity building and technical assistance for developing countries to realize the outcomes of financing for development. CBIA underscores the much needed reform in the international finance architecture to ensure more meaningful representation and decision making power of developing countries in Bretton Woods institutions, as well as global macroeconomic coordination and safety nets. In conclusion, the Philippines looks forward to the implementation of Compromiso de Sevilla. Let us work to deliver on the promise of leaving no one behind.


Chair [30:53]:

I thank the Under-Secretary of the International Finance Group and Department of Finance of the Philippines. I now give the floor to Minister of Post Communication, Digital Economy and Transparency of the Comoros.


Comoros · Minister of Post Communication, Digital Economy and Transparency [31:26]:

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, on behalf of the government of the Union of Comoros, allow me to express our profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Spain for its warm welcome, and to the United Nations for organizing this extremely important conference, important for the future of developing countries and for preserving inclusive and sustainable global growth. This meeting is taking place in a context marked by the urgency of the to accelerate necessary transformations in order to achieve the SDGs. For the Comoros, small island developing states vulnerable to climate, economic, and geopolitical shocks, it is essential to fully find the necessary resources for sustainable development. This does not only mean finding financial resources, but also to ensuring an equitable international environment that is transparent, stable, and based on solidarity. The Seville Commitment for Action collectively forces us to act in an inclusive and responsible way. It reminds us that it's not enough to simply declare our intentions, but rather to make concrete commitments that produce tangible results for people and their economies. With this in mind, the Comoro would like to highlight a number of strategic priorities. First of all, a more ambitious and inclusive reform of the international financial architecture. This is necessary to allow countries such as ours to have access to sufficient, predictable, and concessional financing. We strongly support the establishment of international mechanisms for restructuring the debt in a just, transparent, and sensitive way, and particularly focused on the vulnerabilities of small island developing states. Secondly, climate and energy transition is a national priority. Our country is already subject to the devastating effects of climate change, coastal erosion, cyclones, and food insecurity. Financing for adaptation can no longer be relegated to the back burner. We call on a more rapid and simplified access to climate financing by taking into account the reality of the specific needs of the most vulnerable countries. Thirdly, it is essential to strengthen our national capacities by ensuring fiscal transparency, digitalization of data, and and strengthening local economies in agriculture, renewable energies, tourism and services. Human beings must be at the heart of all these efforts by empowering women and youth and by investing in education, vocational training and innovation. It is only in this way that we will affect an inclusive and sustainable transformation. Madam Chair, the Union of Comoros reaffirms its commitment to contribute to a renewed global partnership based on the values of multilateralism, solidarity, respect for international law, and shared responsibility. The current international context, marked by increased tensions, should not divert us from essential goals. More than ever, we must remain united to build a more equitable system capable of allowing each country to implement the transformation necessary to its development. Thank you very much.


Chair [35:36]:

I thank the Minister of Post and Communication digital economy and transparency of Comoros. I now give the floor to His Excellency Neil Richmond, State Minister for International Development and the Diaspora of Ireland.


Ireland · State Minister for International Development and the Diaspora · Neil Richmond [36:03]:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by acknowledging our generous host, Spain, the tireless co-facilitators of Mexico, Nepal, Norway, and Zambia, as well as co-chairs of the preparatory process, Burundi and Portugal. It has taken enormous shared determination, vision and expertise in each of your roles to guide our collective hopes and efforts to a successful outcome and a vibrant gathering. We thank you sincerely. Ladies and gentlemen, this conference, its many and varied side events and the Compreso de Sevilla itself are a testament to our continued commitment to the promise of Agenda 2030 and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. They underline the importance, now more than ever, of multilateralism and enabling an inclusive international system that delivers concretely for the poorest, the marginalised and the most vulnerable. At the outset of this process, we are all acutely aware of the scale of the financing challenge we face if we are to accelerate meaningful progress. Despite efforts in the decades since leaders convened in Addis Ababa, ours remains a world of deepening inequalities, pushback against gender equality and human rights, growing levels of conflict and humanitarian need, and a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. This impacts the most vulnerable the most seriously and undermines the progress we have made in fighting poverty and inequality. Through the SDG political declaration and the pact for the future, we collectively charted the way forward. What is important now is to maintain that commitment and to implement it with determination. The outcome document that we adopted earlier this week addresses a range of action areas. However, let me just highlight three. Firstly, we know that official development assistance will never be enough to deliver the SDGs, and we must mobilise financing from a variety of sources. However, let me be clear that, as a source of international public finance, ODA remains essential to achieving our goals. It is critical for the poorest and most vulnerable communities we partner with. For example, I would stress the importance of ODA investments in maternal and newborn health and to promote the strengthening of sustainably financed health systems. Ireland remains absolutely committed to achieving the target to provide 0% of gross national income in ODA and has consistently increased allocations over recent years. The Government of Ireland will maintain our commitment. Let me be very clear, Ireland is not cutting its development budget. We believe in it and we feel others should look to that regard as well. The time however is also to examine how ODA is delivered in order to make it more coherent, effective and impactful. More than ever, given the uncertainty over ODA volumes, we must consider the needs and priorities of those who receive ODA as well as the perspective of providers. We may need to redefine the overall focus of ODA, as ever with an emphasis on reaching the furthest behind first. The second is strengthening domestic resource mobilisation. This includes providing greater support to nationally led initiatives and fostering national ownership. Domestic resources are essential to closing financing gaps and to fund the achievement of the SDGs. Thirdly, a country's ability to borrow is essential to enabling investment in sustainable development. We can now address the persistent debt challenge many countries face and work to lower the cost of borrowing. Ambitious and comprehensive measures are contained in the Compromisa through a variety of initiatives. We lend our support to further strengthening the G20 common framework, establishing a borrower's platform, and operationalizing the SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service. I would also reiterate that we must ensure, as we strive to shape a fairer, more inclusive global financial system, that our efforts align with the overall objectives of the SDGs, leaving no one behind by reaching the furthest behind first. Let us leave Seville having collectively and wholeheartedly committed to the compromise, and as we take the promise forward, let us hold ourselves to account in progress. In conclusion, there's two things I'd like to say. Over the last few days, we've heard a lot of people say we need to do something. We need to. We need to. Now is the time to move from need to how to. We have to absolutely leave here not with a set of words, but a determination to fulfil action. The times, ladies and gentlemen, are extremely challenging, but I can assure you of Ireland's support and constructive engagement in our shared effort. The opportunities lie before us all. We must seize them. Thank you so much.


Chair [40:42]:

I want to thank the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora of Ireland. And I now give the floor to His Excellency Alexander Pankin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.


Russian Federation · Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs · Alexander Pankin [41:08]:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, on the whole, we share in the sense of satisfaction expressed by the majority of states participating in the FFDF4 conference with the agreement set forth in the outcome document, the severe commitment. We will be helping their implementation in accordance with our national legislation. On the positive side of the ledger, we have broadening of support to developing countries, mobilization of domestic resources, as well as important provisions regarding the strengthening of national tax systems and the expansion of international tax cooperation within the framework of a UN convention, as well as the role of MSMEs as one of the pillars of 2030 agenda implementation, much like other countries. We believe that the outcome document is imperfect, but it is a good enough basis for further work on financing for development. We supported the complex consensus garnered on the document and submitted our interpretative comments. We believe it's acutely important to ensure the implementation of the principles enshrined in the outcome document as a whole, as well as to eschew any distortions and avoid placing artificial priority on certain fragments to advance political preferences and profitability. However, we're not optimistic. What has not been covered by the compromise are important issues which must be addressed in order to advance on SDGs and to eradicate inequality in all its forms. This was noted by various UN leaders and many colleagues from the global south. They also provided very worrying statistics. I won't be repeating what they said. Under conditions of tectonic shifts and transformations in the economy at a time of geopolitical tensions, what we need are decisive systemic measures to overcome the fragmentation of global trade and logistics, tariff wars, financial market volatility, as well as chronic inequality between the South and North in economic, social, and technological terms. We need to democratize the entire gamut of international relations. to ensure equal access to financial resources and to ensure that states can manage their own resources and those that they receive as they see fit. We also need to ensure equal participation in decision making on global processes. How can we talk about rebuilding trust and genuine multilateralism when we see active neocolonial practices being enacted by those who erroneously continue to deem themselves masters of the universe, mentors for the global majority under the fig leaf of solidarity and cooperation in the interests of everybody lies further monopolization of innovation, knowledge, technological advances, international platforms and fora, as well as efforts to erode thinking, values and the national identities of states and peoples. The West needs to radically change its behavior vis-a-vis others. Illegitimate unilateral sanctions imposed under trumped-up political pretexts restrict investment and productive chains. The seizure of state assets, de facto theft, is exacerbating The distrust many states feel vis-a-vis their settlements and payments heightening disquiet about their international reserves. As a result, we're seeing much harm done to global trade and market sustainability. ODA should be depoliticized and geared towards SDG achievement, to meeting the actual requirements of countries in need, especially African ones. It's unacceptable to have a situation whereby the largest donors and the IFIs are denying support to entire regions, at the same time disbursing for political reasons, disproportionately large sums to the Kyiv regime, one third of all IMF programs, and Kyiv is also receiving more than all of Africa from the World Bank. The basic principle should be respect for the sovereign policies of developing countries, including when it comes to disbursing and allocating the resources of IFIs, without any conditionalities on those infamous climatic, gender, human rights, or any other political or managerial precepts. For decades, the Russian Federation has been supporting the development of states in the global south. We've been painstakingly upholding the principles of equal rights, solidarity, and support for national priorities. These principles are what set our approach apart from the neocolonial agenda being pursued by the largest Western states. When we provide goods, technologies, and solutions for solving energy, food security, health, and so on. That is an example of this. By way of conclusion, the balance of power in the global economy is changing before our very eyes. The BRICS share in the global economy rose by 20% since the start of the century to 40% in 2024. Together with our partners in the Eurasian Integration Group and the BRICS, we are building a global platform for growth based on equal rights, openness, and mutual respect. We believe these are the principles that should form the foundation for a new sustainable development model. Thank.


Chair [46:17]:

I thank the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. I now give the floor to Her Excellency, Alexander Galtinoco, Minister for Foreign Affairs of El Salvador.


El Salvador · Minister for Foreign Affairs · Alexander Galtinoco [46:48]:

Thank you very much. Good morning to everyone, Your Excellencies. El Salvador is participating in this conference with a profound conviction, and that is that transformation is possible. And we, in our country, our country, which is one of the smallest in in Latin America has provided an example. Even in a system that perpetuates inequalities, countries that decide to act with vision and determination can and will change their destiny. Under the leadership of our President Nayib Bukele, we have overcome structural challenges that appeared and for decades had been impossible. Just five years ago, we were known as the most violent country in the world, controlled by gangs, a violent country, a country of death, a country without hope, a country where blood was spilled. Today, just five years later, we are the safest country in the Western Hemisphere, an international reference in security, a nation that is advancing with firm and sustained strides towards development for each one of our citizens. There is no going back. This transformation is comprehensive. We're promoting responsible policies focused on people that balance macroeconomic stability with the protection of our most vulnerable groups. And we are achieving concrete results. El Salvador is now recognized for its policy of early childhood promoted by our First Lady. We have also been recognized as a global leader in tourism by UN Tourism, and we are promoting South-South cooperation actively, where we share our experience in security, in agriculture, and business development. Furthermore, the recent signature of a new agreement with the IMF reflects the recognition of the strides made by our country in just five years, and demonstrates international confidence in the soundness of our public finances and in the direction of our reforms. to build an environment that promotes sustainable economic growth, equality, and confidence. We have undertaken responsible fiscal reforms, and we're exploring innovative instruments such as debt for development swaps and green bonds in order to finance strategic sectors such as education, health care, resilient infrastructure, and energy transition. However, we're not here to virtue signal. We're not here to boast or just to tell you what we have achieved. We come here to confirm and reaffirm that development is not a solitary effort. International cooperation and support is and must measure up to national transformations and challenges. El Salvador reiterates its appeal for a more just, effective, and representative international financial architecture, an architecture that respects the sovereignty of countries and provides support to nations in a coherent way, nations that have decided to embrace development with dignity. We advocate for a multidimensional vision of development that addresses the structural factors that slow progress. Madam Chairperson, the civil commitment must become a concrete roadmap. It should include accessible financing, participatory governance, and measurable results. We don't need any more abstract pledges. Our people need responses today. El Salvador reaffirms its commitment to this collective agenda because multilateralism only makes sense if it delivers real results to those who most need them. Our people demand that they require it, our most vulnerable groups, those without a voice, to those who we represent and for whom we who we, for whom we are responsible, need this. We owe it to them. May God protect us and guide us in this path. Thank you very much.


Chair [52:00]:

I want to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, and I now give the floor to His Excellency, Hitashi Matsumoto, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.


Japan · Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs · Matsuo Hisashi [52:25]:

Mr. President, Excellencies, and ladies and gentlemen, I am Matsuo Hisashi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. It is my honor to represent on behalf of the Japanese government. Today, the world faces an unprecedented complex of crisis. These challenges demand urgent and united action. As we gather in Seville, let us respond with determination. Since the first FFD in Monterey and the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, the world has changed dramatically. Around the time of the first FFD conference, As the concept of human security emerged, Japan has been leading its promotion. Despite a changing global landscape, the principle of human security, that means focusing on individual, protecting people from threat, and enabling them to reach their potential, these remains vital. Building on this principle, I'd like to outline three priorities to address today's challenges. First, self-help and solidarity. After World War II, Japan achieved reconstruction with international support, and later, Japan became a major donor. Japan remains committed to its responsibilities as a member of the international community. At the same time, to respond effectively to today's complex crisis, each country should make its own effort while engaging in cooperation with various actors. We foster virtuous cycle. It means former recipients become providers. Second, we must mobilize both private and domestic resources. Private capital flows to developing countries have long exceeded ODA, and efforts to engage both domestic and international private actors have become increasingly important. From this perspective, Japan has supported the foundation for domestic resource mobilization in developing countries. We have provided technical cooperation to improve legal and institutional frameworks and to ensure their steady implementation in taxation and public finance. Moreover, Japan expanded the financial instruments of Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, to facilitate businesses in developing countries. Financing from all sources is more essential than ever. Third, we must promote transparent and fair development finance, aligned with international rules and standards. Lending practices that ignore debt sustainability hinder lasting development. It's essential to uphold transparent and fair rules and guidelines to preserve sustainability and ownership of recipient countries. Excellencies, next month, we also We will also host the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD 9, in Yokohama with African leaders. At the conference, let us discuss mobilizing more private finance to promote industrial development, job creation, and sustainable growth in Africa. In closing, Japan reaffirms its strong commitment to the SDGs under the concept of human security. Thank you very much.


Chair [57:24]:

I think His Excellency, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Melita Gabric, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Affairs and Development of Slovenia.


Slovenia · Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Affairs and Development · Melita Gabric [57:47]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. Slovenia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We welcome the adoption of the Compromiso de Sevilla as a renewed platform for multilateral cooperation at a time of heightened global tensions and persistent development challenges. The international community remains seriously off track in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. There is an urgent need to mobilize resources and reform our global financial system. Slovenia fully supports the Cevik commitment. This conference must not only reaffirm the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, but also lead us toward a meaningful progress. We must scale up all sources of financing, public and private, domestic and international, and ensure that they are better aligned with the SDGs. Moreover, it is vital to address systemic challenges. Slovenia supports stronger international cooperation on taxation, transparency, and the fight against illicit financial flows. Slovenia also advocates for continued reforms of international financial institutions to make them more inclusive, more responsive, and more effective, while safeguarding their mandates and accountability. Enhancing the representation of developing countries remains essential. In achieving the SDGs, we must recognize the specific needs and vulnerabilities of developing countries. To this end, Slovenia supports a country-led approach rooted in national ownership and accountability. National strategies and integrated national financing frameworks should be developed through whole-of-government coordination and inclusive dialogue, especially with civil society. Slovenia believes that capacity building plays a crucial role in this regard. Since 2001, the Ljubljana-based international organization, Center of Excellence in Finance, has supported countries in Southeast and Eastern Europe with training, knowledge exchange, and technical assistance in public financial management and central banking. These efforts strengthen domestic resource mobilization and more equitable fiscal systems. We must also ensure that countries in special situations, including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states, have access to adequate and predictable funding. Slovenia supports ongoing work on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index to ensure that concessionary finance reflects real structural and external risks. Human rights and the 2030 Agenda are mutually reinforcing. By promoting human rights, we lay the foundation for an inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable development. Women and girls in particular remain disproportionately affected by poverty, unpaid care work, and exclusion from economic opportunity. Slovenia, therefore, welcomes the commitment to mainstream a gender perspective and promote gender-responsive solutions across the financing for development agenda. The conference in Seville coincides with the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Achieving our shared goals depends on effective cooperation among all countries, on building trust, and on strengthening partnerships. This conference is an opportunity to show that together we deliver real results. an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. Thank you for your attention.


Chair [1:02:37]:

I thank the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia. And I will now give the floor to His Excellency Ioannis Louverdos, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece. You have the floor, sir.


Greece · Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs · Ioannis Louverdos [1:03:13]:

Buenos dias, Honorable President, Excellencies, dear colleagues. We meet at the moment of profound global fragility. Geopolitical tensions, climate disruptions, unsustainable debt burdens, and persistent inequalities within and between countries are hampering future progress on the SDGs. As we all know, the annual development financing gap for addressing the needs of the global south now exceeds $4 trillion. That figure is not just a budgetary shortfall, it is a human cost we cannot afford. My country aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union yesterday. In addition, here are some points in my national capacity. After lengthy preparations and, indeed, complex negotiations, we welcome the adoption of the Seville Outcome Document. We believe it sends a clear political message: the international community is committed to closing the financing gap for sustainable development, not only in words, but through action. Translating these commitments into actionable initiatives, whether through enhanced coordination of development finance, targeted support to partner countries, or reform of institutional structures will determine our credibility in the years to come. This includes demonstration how we operationalize our support to Global South beyond rhetorical commitments and in a way that aligns with evolving political and economic dynamics. We expect the Seville Outcome Document to be more than a list of aspirations. It will hopefully lead us to systematic transformation of the global financial architecture grounded in equity and solidarity. Let me highlight five key principles. First, we support a bold reform of multilateral development bank. MDBs must become more agile, more representative of the voices of the global south, and better equipped to deliver on climate, education, health, and social inclusion. Second, domestic resource mobilization must lie at the core of our efforts. We stand ready to support efforts to improve fiscal policies and revenue administration and develop an enabling environment to foster private sector investments. Third, private finance must be effectively mobilized to unleash the potential of the Greek of the green and digital transitions. The current pace and scale are insufficient. De-risking tools, SDG-aligned bonds and blended finance are critical, but must be deployed transparently, with accountability and local ownership. We must also consider unlocking finance for MSMEs, particularly in vulnerable contexts. Fourth, as regards indebtedness, we need frameworks that are fair, inclusive, and capable of responding to the current challenges. Vulnerable countries, such as LDCs, must be capable to access finance that supports recovery without compromising future prospects. Fifth, official development assistance remains essential. This is the time to reach higher levels of our development assistance and not to backtrack. Finally, we underline the need for robust follow-up. The commitments made here must be monitored with rigor, inclusiveness, and transparency. Seville must mark the start of implementation, not just a negotiated outcome. Greece remains fully committed to that effort and to working with all partners to build a resilient, fair, and inclusive global financial system. Muchas gracias. Thank you very much.


Chair [1:07:57]:

I thank the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece for his statement, and I will now give the floor to Her Excellency, Jill Ched, as you Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan. Madam, the floor is yours. A.


Kyrgyzstan · Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce [1:08:26]:

Very good morning, Presidents, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I'd like to express our sincere gratitude to the organizers of the conference the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, UN DESA and all partners. Thank you for holding this important meeting on this important agenda. For the Kyrgyz Republic, Much like for other landlocked developing countries, sustainable financing is of strategic importance. High logistics costs, limited market access, dependence on specific transit routes, these are all objective challenges we are overcoming, and this thanks to integration, digitalization, and infrastructure investment. On this note, the Kyrgyz Republic would like to welcome the Cevier commitment. It is an important step. on the way to building a more just and inclusive international financial architecture. Kyrgyzstan views this document not as a declaration, but as a clear roadmap containing concrete actions. If I may, I'd like to emphasize 4 priorities for the Kyrgyz Republic. One, reform of the international financial architecture. We support expanding the participation of developing countries in global institutions, as well as the reform of the mechanism for allocating special drawing rights. We'd also like to see regional financial institutions strengthened, and this especially for landlocked developing countries. Second, ensuring fair and predictable debt solutions. The Kyrgyz Republic is in favor of creating a development-oriented sovereign debt architecture with transparent, timely, and well-coordinated restructuring mechanisms. We also would like to see borrowing costs reduced. Third, we pay particular attention to mountainous regions. We are promoting the initiative to include the agenda item mountains and climate on the agenda of international climate negotiations, including the COP. We've also kick-started a global plan for sustainable development of mountain territories. This will contribute to the implementation of SDGs 6, 13, 14, and 15. Fourth, we believe that digital transformation can be a driver of sustainable development. Although we are landlocked, in 2024, 95% of revenues generated in our high-tech park resulted from IT service exports to over 60 countries. This is a shining example of how digitalization can help overcome geographical limitations. Distinguished participants, we'd like to express our support for the establishment of a specialized financial mechanism for LLDCs, as well as for the broadening of public-private partnership instruments, the issuance of green bonds and social bonds, as well as South-South cooperation. The Kyrgyz Republic stands ready to take an active part in these efforts. Today, more than ever, it's important for the outcomes of FfD4 to become a springboard for systemic solutions. We need to restore a global balance. We need to put people, sustainability and justice front and center of the agenda. No country, no person should be left behind. Thank you for your kind attention.


Chair [1:11:58]:

I thank the Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan for her statement, and I will now give the floor to Her Excellency Yalivan Karnachanarich, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand. The floor is yours, Madam.


Thailand · Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs · Yalivan Karnachanarich [1:12:34]:

Mr. President, good morning. Today, multilateralism is being challenged. Geopolitical tension, rising protectionism, and growing mistrust are undermining our cooperation. We must reinvigorate our commitment to multilateralism and the role based trading system with the WTO at its core. Allow me to highlight three essential approach. First, innovative financing. Sustainable finance is indispensable for translating the SDG into reality. Thailand is Asia's first sovereign issuer of the sustainability link bond. which has been recently listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. To date, we have issued bonds worth of over $2.5 billion to support our climate targets and promote zero emissions vehicle by 2030. We also promote financing inclusion by improving SME access to funding through digital platform. Our prompt pay system now support over 80 millions accounts and ranked third globally in QR payments adoptions. Building on this digital foundation, Thailand recently launched the G-Token initiative to modernize public financing through blockchain technology, while expanding investment access for our citizens. Second, reforming the international finance architecture. Developing countries deserve a greater voice in global economic governance. We welcome recent reform by MDB to boost financial support for developing nations. We also view ODA as a vital enabler of SDG achievement. As an emerging donor, Thailand continues to provide development assistance with a focus on regional cooperation and capacity building. We also urge developed countries to fulfill their ODA commitments. We recognize that Illicit financial flow and transnational organized crime, driven by money laundering and corruption, undermine sustainable development. Thailand calls for immediate and coordinated response to this threat at the region and international level to safeguard the integrity of the global financial system and ensure effective resource mobilization in our in our region we are alarmed by the increasing number of the victim of online scam Thailand will take a leading role in combating this crime third forging strong partnership at the national level Thailand is deepening our private sector cooperation our financial Hub acts aims to position Thailand as a global financial center. The establishment of a one-stop authority will streamline the mobilization of the international financial resources for infrastructure and economic development. Internationally, we serve as a bridge builder by promoting South-South, North-South, and triangular cooperation. Our engagement with BRICS and ongoing accession process to the OECD reflect our dedication to fostering different connection between Southeast Asia and the world. As the current chair of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, Thailand will host the ACD high level conference in Bangkok later this year and to discuss Asia's role in shaping the future of the global financial architecture. We are also honored to host the IMF World Bank Annual Meeting in 2026. Thailand stand ready to work with all partners to strengthen multilateralism and mobilize the resource needed to achieve the SDG. Thank you very much.


Chair [1:17:28]:

I thank the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for her statement. And I will now give the floor to His Excellency Sigitas Mitkus, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. You have the floor, sir.


Lithuania · Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs · Sigitas Mitkus [1:17:59]:

Distinguished President of the Conference, Excellencies, Honorary Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. It's a great pleasure to participate in this important conference, which is designed to strengthen partnerships and advance the global dialogue on financing for development. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized in his opening speech of the conference, there is a clear link between peace and development. Russia's war against Ukraine has inflicted unimaginable suffering on Ukraine, its society, on the Ukrainian people, especially the most vulnerable group, children. Over 2,000 children have been killed, 20,000 are missing, and countless more have been deported. Ukraine has lost years of development progress, pushing millions of its citizens into poverty and displacement, both internally and abroad. This war has also greatly affected the global fight against poverty, causing regress in development well beyond Ukraine and the entire European continent. Therefore, it's crucial to mobilize the international community to achieve just and lasting peace in Ukraine and end conflicts in other countries and regions. Second, it's crucial to allocate adequate, sustainable, and inclusive financing to implement the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. As a committed member of the international community, Lithuania emphasizes the following issues: improving the effectiveness of the international financial system; simplifying procedures, introducing principles of better governance, especially by promoting e-governance initiatives, mobilizing private capital, deepening engagement with partner countries. In this context, we must strengthen our collective efforts and employ financial instruments more effectively at the national, regional, and international levels. attracting private capital by enhancing existing instruments and developing new ones, such as sustainable bonds, green guarantees, export credits, and mixed funds should become an inseparable part of our policy agenda. To achieve this, we must strengthen our collaboration with our partners, development banks, financial institutions, and private sector representatives. Finally, on partnerships. It's crucial that we focus our collective efforts on first, promoting economic growth, second, developing sustainable infrastructure, third, advancing sustainable development goals, and last, improving public budgeting and financial oversight.

To conclude.

Lithuania stands ready to work closely with all partners to implement Seville Declaration. We are prepared to contribute constructively to ensure effective multilateralism and build more effective, inclusive, and sustainable international financing architecture. Thank you.


Chair [1:21:23]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania for his statement, and I will now give the floor to Her Excellency Patricia Tanzi, State Secretary and Director General of the Agency for Development and Cooperation of Switzerland. You have the floor, Madam.


Switzerland · State Secretary and Director General · Patricia Tanzi [1:21:46]:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. decade has passed since the last International Conference on Financing for Development. We continue to harbor lofty ambitions. Today, we meet here at this crossroads. Indeed, progress has been made. Hundreds of millions of people did manage to exit poverty. Nonetheless, many other development challenges remain obstinately persistent. Recently, progress has slowed, and there is a real risk of a reversal of progress. We look on with disquiet as agreements, norms, the rules of international law, the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda are being placed under threat. However, they are our compass for sustainable development. They are the best lodestars we have. for achieving peaceful and prosperous coexistence, as well as a sustainable future for our planet. The Compromiso de Sevilla is evidence of broad-based political will, an encouraging sign. However, financing problems are at the heart of the current sustainable development crisis. It's vital to mobilize and make the most of greater resources, whether they be national or international, public or private. and this to achieve sustainable development. Resources should be used so as to maximize impact on development, especially by rooting out corruption at all levels. Debt sustainability issues must be addressed urgently and comprehensively so as to lay the foundations for fiscal space conducive to investment. especially by investing in environmental infrastructure and social services, such as education and health. This will help us to create the foundations for a prosperous future. Furthermore, we need to attach greater importance to high-quality data and statistics, so as to bolster effectiveness. All of our activities should be evidence-based. Effective development cooperation should be front and center of our discussions on financing. We need to do better. We need to align spending and investment with the SDGs and with national priorities. Nonetheless, the fragmentation of activities and development instruments, as well as the growing trend of earmarking funds, are worrisome. They undermine both effectiveness and impact. More financing won't solve everything. There's a vast untapped potential that lies in measures which actually are not financial. In the current context, these measures are becoming increasingly significant. Let me give you a few examples. Promoting private investment, strengthening good governance, systematically involving women and girls at all levels of decision making, coherent national and international policies, all of the aforementioned measures are essential if we are to achieve our stated objectives. France will continue to -- Switzerland, apologies -- will continue to play an active and constructive role in the implementation of the outcome document as per our priorities. Progress on sustainable development will require vast global efforts in the spirit of compromise and collective responsibility. We must exhibit pragmatism and dexterity, and this throughout the process. By way of conclusion, I'd like to inform you that Switzerland is making available Geneva International, a platform rooted in humanity and innovation, which brings together actors from various sectors, humanitarian affairs, peace, human rights, trade, finance, the environment, research, and forecasting, and this all in one city. The topics and challenges discussed and addressed day in, day out in Geneva are fully in keeping with the Compromisso de Sevilha. I thank you.


Chair [1:26:10]:

I thank the State Secretary of Switzerland for her statement, and I will now give the floor to Her Excellency Gina Kim, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The floor is yours, Madam.


Republic of Korea · Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs · Gina Kim [1:26:33]:

Excellencies, distinguished guests, delegates, it's an honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Republic of Korea. Let me extend my sincere gratitude to the host country, Spain, for its warm hospitality and leadership in convening this critical dialogue. I also thank the co-chairs and co-facilitators for their dedicated stewardship, inclusiveness, and tireless efforts in guiding the process toward a meaningful and forward-looking outcome. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development comes at a crucial moment. A decade has passed since the third conference in Addis Ababa. The international community is facing increasingly complex challenges, such as geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic instability, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. These call for critical reassessment of our global development finance architecture. Our collective resolve to effectively mobilize and utilize development resources and reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism is the most important outcome of this conference. On behalf of the five MIKTA countries, Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, and Australia, I would like to draw your attention to the MIKTA joint statement circulated at this conference. reiterating the critical importance of this conference. My delegation also wishes to join others in welcoming and supporting the outcome document, Compromiso de Sevilla, as a significant milestone in our shared goal of advancing sustainable partnership and innovative financing for development. Korea is especially encouraged by the Compromiso de Sevilla's emphasis on development effectiveness. It is a common agenda for all. The four effectiveness principles, country ownership, focus on results, inclusive partnerships, and mutual accountability, will help us navigate through the turbulent waters ahead. My delegation welcomes the recognition of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation as a key platform to advance this agenda. To support implementation of the FFD4 outcomes, Korea will host the 8th Busan Global Partnership Forum this September. It will serve as a timely opportunity to explore concrete ways to bring our commitment into action. Korea's new administration, inaugurated last month, is firmly committed to providing global public goods and contributing to fight poverty, hunger, inequality, disease, conflict, and disaster. Through enhanced global solidarity, Korea will reinforce its role as a responsible member of the international community. In achieving this goal, Korea hopes to forge forward-looking partnerships with sharing our story from a war-torn LDC to a responsible donor. Korea does not believe that it is the only way. We will help our partners build their own model. In this context, I am pleased to announce Korea's 3R Humanitarian Assistance Initiative: Revive, Reach and Resilience, in cooperation with UNDP, WFP, and UNICEF. My government will invest $170 million to bring lifesaving support to those affected by war, conflict, and crisis. These initiatives reflect our unflagging determination to respond to urgent global needs. In closing, I invite all member states and stakeholders to actively engage in the upcoming Busan Global Partnership Forum this September. We look forward to welcoming you and working together to advance our shared vision of effective and sustainable development. Thank you.


Chair [1:31:29]:

I thank the Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea for her statement, and I will now give the floor to His Excellency Steven Kollit, Vice Minister for Development of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

You have the floor, sir.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Vice Minister for Development · Steven Kollit [1:31:53]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, a commitment to multilateralism and realism and a stepping stone for increased joint ambition. That is what the Compromiso de Sevilla means for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Now is the time for over-delivering rather than over-promising, to direct finance in a way that it better serves the countries and people that need it most, to forge equal partnerships with governments private sector, civil society and academia, with that aim in mind, providing synergies by building on the strengths of each individual partner. We dearly need all to play their role. The Seville Platform for Action is our launching pad. As the Netherlands, we kicked off this week with partners from European and African countries, focusing on mobilising our institutional investors to invest in SDGs and climate action through MDBs, and on developing capital markets in emerging economies to encourage development into national priorities. For this, we launched two SPAs, supported by Dutch development finance innovators, Ilex and Cardano Development. A promise of trillions based on proof of concepts. Let us now work hard together to make this work at scale. Mr. President, ODA will remain an important element of finance for development. Yet, we must acknowledge its evolving role. Its increased use as a means to mobilize other sources of finance is very welcome. Additionality is key here. Let us keep focusing ODA on those in need, leaving no one behind. Also, in the realm of debt and debt sustainability, we wish to further the commitments from the Compromisso. Organizations such as the African Legal Support Facility are essential in this regard. They save governments billions of dollars. And we have been and will continue to support sustainable debt management by African ministries of finance through their work with a substantial contribution. We welcome the clear references to gender equality in the outcome document. The full economic integration of women, girls, and marginalized groups provides vast untapped potential and makes sure that we leave no one behind.

As it.

Has been said often, this is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. FfD4 asks of us just this. Let us do the smart thing together. Mr. President, in closing, let me express our sincere appreciation for those who have made this conference possible and worked hard for the past 12 months. Our host, Spain, co-chairs Burundi and Portugal, and co-facilitators Mexico, Nepal, Norway, and Zambia, and UN DESA. We thank you for leading us into an agenda of both realism and ambition. Let us make it work together. I thank you.


Chair [1:35:45]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Development of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for his statement. I will now give the floor to Her Excellency, Barbel Kofler, Vice Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany. The floor is yours, Madam.


Germany · Vice Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development · Barbel Kofler [1:36:05]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. With this fourth Financing for Development Conference here in Seville, we have found new momentum for multilateralism, a multilateralism built on a global solidarity even in times of crisis. As a world community, we have agreed to an outcome document which is key to achieving the SDGs. This takes the Addis Ababa Action Agenda forward and paves the way for more effective development financing. Germany stands ready to move this agenda forward. We will remain a reliable partner for international cooperation, and we are willing to take a leading role in forging along alliances to achieve common goals. Yes, the Compromiso de Sevilla was challenging to reach. We all have to give way on some demands. and we were able to carry through others. This is true for Germany and for all the parties to this agreement. And that is exactly what makes it a success, because multilateralism is about building bridges and finding common ground. And I'm convinced that our common ground is ample. Together, we have identified important levels for closing the development financing gap. Let me highlight two decisive ones. First, Domestic revenue mobilization. Higher domestic revenues and taxes in particular can close a large part of the SDGs financing gap. Germany remains committed to supporting domestic revenue mobilization and combating tax evasion. We stand firmly behind the Addis Tax Initiative and support the Civil Declaration on DRM. Its bold agenda puts the results of this conference into action. And for me, This, the emphasis here is on fair and progressive taxation, on ensuring that all members of society contribute their fair share to financing the common good, because tax reforms are not only about higher revenues, they are about solidarity within a society and amongst countries. The second lever is the private sector, which holds enormous potential for mobilizing more resources for the 2030 Agenda. This is why we as governments, as international community, must do more to create environments that enable private investment. Scaling private investment is at the core of SCALED, an initiative for scaling capital for sustainable development, which Germany was launching and together with 12 other partners, for example, governments like Canada and members of the private sector. And I would like to invite more partners to join these efforts. With these and other levels, we as international partners have a compass that will guide our way on the road post-Civil. Finally, let me join previous speakers in thanking Spain, the co-facilitators, and the UNDESA for making this momentum possible. Here in Seville, we have achieved an important landmark that gives a new boost to multilateralism. Thank you very much.


Chair [1:39:43]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany for her statement. And I now give the floor to His Excellency Enrique Javier Ochoa Martinez, Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico.


Mexico · Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights · Enrique Javier Ochoa Martinez [1:40:14]:

Thank you. Chairman, Your Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, Mexico is participating in this fourth International Conference on Financing for Development with determination and a historic responsibility. Mexico is a country that is a custodian of the legacy of Monterrey. It is a co-facilitator of this transformative process and a nation convinced that multilateralism is our best tool, the only one that we have to develop common solutions to shared challenges. We meet at a time of multiple transitions. and profound uncertainties, however, a time of great possibilities. Seville must become an inflection point towards an international system that is more just, more inclusive, and more in line with global aspirations for dignity, sustainability, and well-being. The Seville commitment is a step in the right direction. It reflects a growing consensus that financing cannot continue to be treated as an external condition of development, but rather as its driver and enabler. We hail the fact that this text affirms clearly the need to mobilize and align resources on an approach based in human rights, gender equality, sustainability, intergenerational justice, and territorial cohesion. Mexico has sought to express these principles in concrete actions. We have strengthened our tax collection without raising our taxes. We have structured our budget in conformity with the SDGs. We have developed a pioneering sustainable taxonomy based on gender equality. We have issued sovereign bonds aligned with social and environmental objectives. And we have promoted a development bank that prioritizes people, communities, and care work as public goods. We have also promoted South-South cooperation and partnerships. These reflect our conviction that development must be built on the basis of diversity and solidarity, trust, in the multilateral system will not be restored merely with declarations. What is required is to advance towards verifiable commitments, clear accountability frameworks, and a real determination to correct the imbalances that today limit equitable access to resources and opportunities. It's not enough to simply repeat promises. The time has come to demonstrate that international cooperation can be translated into tangible results. This is why Mexico, from this tribune, would like to make an appeal to strengthen a new global alliance for financing for development, an alliance that mobilizes investments in human infrastructure, climate resilience, innovative transformation, and just transition, that reflects the plurality of the contemporary world, that puts people and the planet at the heart of financial decision-making. Restoring trust in multilateralism is possible, and it's also necessary. But it requires determination, empathy, and political courage. We in Mexico would like to reaffirm our commitment to an international financial architecture that responds to the aspirations of our peoples, the needs of our time, and to the future that we hope to build together. MESAville must mark the beginning of a new era. Transforming financial architecture is not a utopian goal. It is an urgent task required of us, and it is an opportunity that we cannot pass up. Seville must be remembered, not what was said, but what we have decided to change. Thank you.


Chair [1:44:55]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico for his statement, and I now give the floor to His Excellency, Suha Hashil Nasara, Vice Minister for Finance of Indonesia.


Indonesia · Vice Minister for Finance · Suahasil Nazara [1:45:21]:

Thank you, Chair. At the outset, the Indonesian delegation wishes to extend the appreciation towards the Kingdom and the people of Spain for the hospitality given throughout this conference. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we stand at a very crucial crossroads. This is just five years before 2030. The choices that we make now will shape up our path to a more inclusive, just, and sustainable future. Achieving the SDG goals demand both innovative financing strategies in addition to strong sectoral policies. The latest calculation for Indonesia our SDG funding needs still has a gap around 1.7 trillion US dollar. Our state budget, estimatedly, can only cover around 30% of that needs. The rest must come from private, philanthropic, and innovative sources. This poses both fiscal and development challenges which call for innovation, collaboration, and urgency. Indonesia has stepped up to fill the gap. Indonesia is very active in using the market, issuing SDG-based bonds, linking investors to the prosperity of our people. Since 2018, Indonesia have issued various kinds of green bonds, blue bonds, and other thematic bonds to support our SDG achievement. It has been well received by the market. These efforts illustrate a growing blended finance model, uniting the public, private, and philanthropic funds to support impactful projects. that are often overlooked by conventional financing. It also reflects Indonesia's strength, resilience, and firm commitment to reform and innovate amidst the compounding global challenges. We believe Our presence here reflects the global commitment to ensure that no countries is left behind in financing its development, especially in the final five years to achieve the SDGs. To move forward, we offer three key recommendations. First, We need to establish a global framework to measure the impact of innovative financing using shared indicators and open access platforms. Second, we need to scale up de-risking tools, such as the first loss capital guarantees and concessional finance through international financial institutions multilateral development banks, and donors to attract more private investment in developing countries. Three, we need to streamline fragmented initiatives by enhancing coordination among donors and partners and integrating faith-based and community-led finance into the global financing architecture. Indonesia reaffirms the urgent need for meaningful reform of the multilateral system, including the international financial architecture, to ensure that it fits for today's realities and also future challenges. Such reform must reflect genuine country ownership and provide tailored support, particularly for developing countries, enabling industrial upgrading, energy transition, private sector resilience. In this spirit, Financing for Development 4 must serve as a platform to foster global cooperation, advance reform agendas, mobilize financing, and reinvigorate trust in multilateralism. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Time is running out. The SDGs are not just goals. They are moral imperatives for all of us. Let us implement the Compromiso de Cefia effectively to translate our bold commitments into tangible actions and ensure our continued progress. Thank you.


Chair [1:50:20]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Finance of Indonesia for his statement. And I now give the floor to Her Excellency Maria Angueliva, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria.


Bulgaria · Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs · Maria Angueliva [1:50:31]:

Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to address you today at the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development, on behalf of the Government of Bulgaria. We commend the United Nations and our host country, the Kingdom of Spain, for their commitment to strengthening the global development financing framework at the time of complex and interlinked challenges. We are confident that this conference will provide a decisive push to the intergovernmental process on financing for development, which is more needed than ever before. This conference must reaffirm our shared commitment to international cooperation, solidarity, and multilateralism that promotes inclusive and sustainable development for all. The draft outcome document is a result of a compromise that reflects our interconnected world's complex realities. It is a source of optimism that an improved, more effective financial architecture for development is achievable through targeted changes that take into account all stakeholders' legitimate positions and interests. International development cooperation is both a principle and a moral imperative to stand in solidarity with those facing development challenges. While official development assistance is undeniably very important, It must be viewed not as a stand-alone solution, but rather as a catalyst with the comprehensive scope of international development cooperation driving forward broader sustainable progress. Ultimately, domestic public resources, policies and plans must form the bedrock of the sustainable development investment drive. This requires significantly increased state capacity, particularly in policy formulation and implementation, rigorously complemented by enhanced transparency and accountability. As an EU member, Bulgaria company to implement sound national fiscal policies while supporting the EU's effort to mobilize both public and private financial resources for international development. The development assistance we provide is fully aligned with the SDGs, in particular those in education, health, gender equality, green transition. We believe in the transformative power of targeted investments, capacity building and civil society support through mechanisms that enhance transparency, accountability and access to development finance. We are committed to further enhancing our development cooperation capacities, especially in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries, in line with the principle of leaving no one behind. Ladies and gentlemen, if we ensure, on the basis of what we agreed here, that financing for development is both fair and future-oriented, a more just and sustainable world will become a reality. That would be the best legacy from Seville we could wish for. Let it come true. Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.


Chair [1:55:18]:

I thank the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria for her statement. And I now give the floor to His Excellency Ilkom No'kulov, Deputy Minister for Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan.


Uzbekistan · Deputy Minister for Economy and Finance · Ilkom No'kulov [1:55:46]:

Dear President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Uzbekistan, I would like to express our gratitude to the Kingdom and Government of Spain and the United Nations for their warm hospitality and excellent organization of this fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. It's an honor to join this important global gathering. Allow me to briefly start with the progress of Uzbekistan on the implementation of reforms, which are also reflected in the global agenda. Since 2017, under the leadership of the President, of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, our country has undertaken difficult, yet reversible and wide-ranging reforms that have enabled us to withstand major global shocks, including COVID-19, geopolitical conflicts, external uncertainties, and trade disruptions. Uzbekistan's development agenda, which puts the people of the country at the center of the structural reforms, is reflected in the Strategy of Uzbekistan 2030 document, is also well aligned with the SDG agenda. And it has played as a baseline document for the preparation of the cooperation frameworks with multilateral development banks and other development partners. We would like to note that our national development agenda in many aspects is consistent with the goals and commitments that are reflected in the Compromiso de Sevilla, with strong emphasis on implementation tools and mechanisms. Reduction of the informal employment by linking it to better access to affordable financial resources, wide range of tax reforms and tax administration, efficient management of the public debt by introducing fiscal rules, aligning Aligning and marking the public budget with the national SDG, introducing more efficient social protection mechanisms in order to increase the coverage of the people with social support, adapting agriculture, water, energy and urbanization policies with climate agenda and other measures can be example of areas where we have been progressing substantially. Thanks to these reforms and strong political will to substantially change social and economic condition in Uzbekistan, as well as efficient and strong cooperation with international partners, the per capita income has almost doubled compared to 2018 and reached $3,400. Consistent with our strategy, we are expecting to reach more than $5,000 by 2030 and get into the group of upper middle income countries. This has been achieved in a condition where We are having a stable demographic growth, with population size reaching 38 million by the end of this year. Each year, nearly 1 million babies are born. And the positive change are reflected in many international ratings and rankings. This year, Uzbekistan advanced 19 positions in the global SDG index and was ranked among the top five fastest-progressing countries worldwide and champion in the region in the implementation of SDGs. Besides, top international rating agencies have recently updated sovereign rating expectations, expectations, and other agency, uh, and one agency has improved its bank stance rating from BB minus to BB. The fundamental and structural reforms are the main factors of this positive achievements, despite the difficulties that global economy is currently facing. Our aim is to achieve sovereign investment grade by 2030. This is also crucial for leveraging and attracting more investments into all sectors of the economy. Yet, despite this advance, challenges remain. SDG financing gap in Uzbekistan is estimated to equivalent 8.7% of GDP, particularly in critical areas such as health, education, road, infrastructure, energy, and water management. And this calls for stronger global solidarity, smarter partnerships, and transformative solutions. Excellencies, supporting the initiative of the Seville Commitment, we acknowledge that commitments all the member states made in Monterrey, Doha, and Addis Ababa must be translated into practical actions. Yes, conditions have changed compared to what it was back in 2015. But today we have better knowledge and experience to overcome different challenges. We also have more enhanced tools of MDBs, such as Program for Results, PFR from the World Bank, or result-based lending from ADBs and others, which we have started to implement recently. So the global financial architecture should be more inclusive, more equitable, and more reflective of today's realities by further enhancing and scaling up these tools and mechanisms. Efficient coordination, trust, solidarity, climate agenda, capacity building, investing more in human capital should be in the central point. Uzbekistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to multilateralism and under the auspices of the United Nations. We will continue working closely with partners, international institutions, donors, private investors, and civil society in our shared pursuit of a more just, green, and prosperous future for all. Thank you for your attention.


Chair [2:01:00]:

I thank the Deputy Minister for Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan. And I now give the floor to Excellency Ada Gabriela Saiz, Vice Minister of Economy of Panama.


Panama · Vice Minister of Economy · Ada Gabriela Saiz [2:01:25]:

Good morning. First of all, we'd express our gratitude to Seville and to the Kingdom of Spain for their hospitality as the host of this conference of financing for development. Ladies and gentlemen, your excellencies, colleagues, and friends, it's a great honor for me to participate in this fourth international conference for financing for development in this land of Andalusia, which has been a crossroads of culture, the gates to Europe. just as Panama has been a bridge, gate, and port of Latin America. Allow me to begin by conveying to you warm greetings on behalf of the people of Panama, the government of the Republic of Panama, and of our President, Jose Raul Molina, who reiterates his firm commitment to an inclusive economic development that is sustainable and resilient, that responds both to the needs of the present as well as the aspirations of future generations. In these times of profound transformations, Panama has embraced a clear vision to be a trustworthy center for trade, for responsible investment, and innovative financing in a framework of transparency, legal stability, and sustainability. In the past few years, we have made significant progress in various key areas for financing for development. Panama has already fulfilled the 30/30 strategy of the United Nations, protecting almost 40% of our territory and more than 50% of our oceans, a source of natural wealth for future generations. And we've also approved a framework of sustainable development and green taxonomy. I just want to give you some examples of some of this progress. institutional strengthening and fiscal transference, attracting investment with a sustainable vision, innovation in financing mechanisms, and a commitment to integration. Ladies and gentlemen, we are aware that financing for development is not merely a technical or financial issue. but rather it is an effort that involves everyone, including the private sector. It is first and foremost an act of ethical and political responsibility to our societies. This is why in Panama we are working firmly to build an enabling environment for growth, but also for equality and social justice. We believe that countries should not compete in precarity, but rather compete in well-being, that capital should not be blind to the social and environmental impacts, but rather it must be geared towards constructing more humane economies. And to conclude, I want to reiterate the commitment of our president, Jose Raul Molina, who, during his visit to Seville, was able to strengthen the links between our nations, to continue advancing confidently. I would invite you, from this -- in this Seville, luminous and fraternal, to Panama. We are a carbon-negative country whose Panama Canal is open to the world, strengthens the global economy. We have a clear vision, a diversified economy, a stable democracy for development, a democracy that is inclusive, green, resilient, and values solidarity. Thank you very much.


Chair [2:06:12]:

I thank the Vice Minister of Economy of Panama for her statement. And I now give the floor to Her Excellency Laura Elizabeth Berta Agathin, Principal Secretary of the National Planning Department, Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade of Seychelles.


Seychelles · Principal Secretary, National Planning Department · Laura Elizabeth Berta Agathin [2:06:38]:

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is an honor to address you today on behalf of the Republic of Seychelles. a proud small island developing state that stands at the front lines of climate vulnerability, and yet remains unwavering in its commitment to build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready financing systems. Our ambitions are clearly outlined in the Seychelles National Development Strategy 2024-2028, which envisions a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economy. But ambition alone is not enough. It must be matched by financing, domestic and international, public and private, aligned and sustained. This is why we strongly welcome the Seville Commitment, which rightly emphasizes country ownership, integrated planning, fiscal resilience, and transparent, inclusive financing. These are not just ideals for Seychelles. They are the cornerstones of our national financing reform agenda. At the heart of this transformation is our Integrated National Financing Framework, INFF, a powerful tool that aligns our financial flows with our development priorities. Seychelles also sees the FinS initiative not merely as an opportunity, but as an imperative. In a world defined by cascading climate shocks, rising debt, and shrinking fiscal space, SIDS like ours cannot afford fragmented planning. The INFF, under the FIN umbrella, has become our roadmap to coherence, coordination, and impactful delivery. Our INFF process is more than just a technical mechanism. It is a political and policy commitment. It is helping us to map our public financial management system, identify fiscal risk, especially climate-related ones, align national budget with development goals, and engage private sector and partners in a more strategic, purposeful way. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Seychelles welcomes the Seville commitments focused on tackling systematic inequalities, improving SIDS access to concessional finance, and reforming the global financial architecture. Yet, we believe we must go further. For countries like ours, financing reform must be climate smart to address the existential threats we face, ensure equitable impact so that no one is left behind, digitally enabled to enhance transparency, efficiency, and reach. What we need now is not just more commitments, but capacity, not just more tools, but tailored partnerships. The FINN initiative has shown great promise, but pilots are not enough. The time has come to scale up for all SIDS. This means expanding technical assistance, improving donor alignment, and providing flexible financing that respects national ownership while enhancing resilience. In Seychelles, we have come to believe that finance is no longer just numbers. It is about choices, priorities, and bold decisions that shape lives and determine futures. We are using the INFF to bridge the gap between ambition and action, between the national budget and the global goals. We are not just imagining change, we are financing it. Let me conclude by reaffirming Seychelles' full commitment to the INFF approach, to the principles of the SVEIA commitment, and to leading by example in building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable financing model for SIDS. We are not only planning for the future, we are investing in it. Thank you.


Chair [2:10:48]:

I thank the Principal Secretary of the National Planning Department, Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade of Seychelles for her statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Christopher McLennan, Deputy Minister of International Development and Global Affairs of Canada.


Canada · Deputy Minister of International Development and Global Affairs · Christopher McLennan [2:11:32]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to join you here in Seville. Let me begin by thanking the Kingdom of Spain for organizing this conference and for their warm hospitality. And let me congratulate the conference chairs and facilitators for their tireless efforts to achieve a consensus on the outcome document. I think this process has been a true testament to the enduring value of multilateralism. And that's important because global cooperation remains the best path forward to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It's no secret that the global development landscape is changing rapidly. The international aid architecture is under tremendous strain. We are seeing significant pressures on aid budgets, even as needs are growing due to climate change, debt vulnerability, humanitarian crises, and conflict. We need to be clear-eyed about the serious challenges before us, but we also know that difficult circumstances force us to rethink our approaches. This challenging moment can help us sow the seeds of new ideas and ensure that new innovations take root. With resources under strain, we need to ensure that our use is optimized. The current international aid architecture has become complex, costly, and duplicative. We need to reduce fragmentation and development cooperation and consider new ways to mobilize new sources of financing. Here in Seville, we share a sense of urgency and a collective drive to do things differently, to develop the partnerships and tools that we need. This conference offers all of us a chance to reaffirm our commitment to sustainable development. This moment demands that we focus on efficiency and impact. A fit-for-purpose multilateral system must make effective use of scarce resources to benefit the people who are most vulnerable and most in need. Investing in gender equality is one powerful, proven way to do that, as the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in decision-making can have a profound effect on a country's economic growth. Canada has made resource mobilization a priority for its 2025 G7 presidency. At the recent G7 Leaders' Summit, Canada announced significant new financing commitments towards our International Assistance Innovation Program and in support of innovative financing at multilateral development banks and private capital mobilization. These investments will help ensure that Canada's approach to development financing is holistic, action-oriented, and adaptable. Financing that is modern, relevant, and responsive positions us well to seize innovative opportunities. To build on this momentum, Canada's Secretary of State for International Development, the Honourable Randeep Sarai, was pleased to announce Canada's initiative under the Seville Platform for Action to establish a new set of common principles on private capital mobilization for sustainable development. The common principles will serve both as a call to action and a roadmap on how to best mobilize private sector capital. Our aim is to help close the SDG financing gap by strengthening partnerships and ensuring accountability by improving standardization and data transparency. Let me thank our British and German partners for their co-leadership on this initiative, as well as others for your endorsement. We look forward to collaborating with many of you here today as we implement this initiative and as we support many of the other great ideas that are being launched this week. By working together, we can advance our common goal of ensuring that financing for development is robust, effective, and that it delivers results for the people who are most in need. Thank you very much.


Chair [2:15:29]:

I thank the Deputy Minister of International Development and Global Affairs of Canada for his statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Say Lava Ros, Secretary of State, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Cambodia.


Cambodia · Secretary of State · Say Lava Ros [2:16:04]:

Your Excellency, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, I wish to reaffirm Cambodia's unwavering support to the full realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. To anchor our commitment, Cambodia and continue to integrate SDG into our successive national development strategy and policy. Over the past decade, Cambodia has made significant.

Strides in reducing poverty, achieving high economic growth, and improving overall social economic condition.

Notably, we have attained the lower middle income country status in 2015 and it is expected to be graduated from LDC in 2029. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent crisis continue to cloud our recovery path. Cambodia's economy in all sectors has gradually recovered. achieving 5% in 2023 and 6% in 2024, respectively, while we expect lower growth this year and over the medium term. However, our forthcoming transition to a middle-income country will bring its own hurdle, including declining concessional finance and preferential trade.

Which may hamstring the realization of our long-term vision.

Again, this backdrop allow me to highlight several points. First, domestic revenue mobilization remain important pillar for fostering sustainable development that align with each country development aspiration. However, our capacity remains highly limited. Therefore, we call on partners to scale up their technical assistance and financial support to help us achieve this.

Reform effort.

Meanwhile, South-South and triangular cooperation must also be enhanced.

To facilitate peer-to-peer exchange and capacity development.

Second, private sector play a pivotal role in driving sustainable long-term growth. Trade, foreign direct investment, and private capital are essential in promoting structural transformation, economic diversification, job creation, particularly for graduating country. Cambodia advocates for the increase of FDI and private capital flow to all LDCs. To facilitate that, we implore MDBs and development partners to bolster their support for infrastructure development and investment de-risking facility to unlock private capital, reducing financing costs and catalyze long-term investment. That's why we welcome the call to revitalize the rule-based multilateral trade system through the WTO. Third, concessional financing must be expanded to graduating countries during and after graduation to ensure smooth transition and prevent backsliding. Fourth, intensifying climate disaster, threatening people's livelihood, food system, and development gain. Despite limited emission footprint, Cambodia is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Therefore, Cambodia strongly urge the MDB, developed countries and creditors to honor their commitment to scale up and streamline access finance facility. We also call for low cost and innovative financing mechanism.

Thank you.


Chair [2:20:58]:

I thank Secretary of State, Minister of Economy and Finance of Cambodia. And I now give the floor to Her Excellency Heidi Rambois, Vice Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Belgium.


Belgium · Vice Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs · Heidi Rambois [2:21:25]:

Excellencies, it was with a deep sense of responsibility that we are meeting here at this International Conference on Financing for Development. We're truly seeing fundamental questions being asked. Everything we've achieved, peace, international law, multilateralism, all of these are being put to the test today. And not only are they being put to the test by crises, but also by doubt, fatigue, and the temptation to turn inwards. Nonetheless, This conference is being held and the Seville Commitment was adopted. And this very simple fact sends a message, and an important one at that. The message being that there are still countries out there, men and women out there, who believe in collective progress, who believe that international cooperation is not outdated, that it is the precondition for our future. And Belgium is one of the countries among their ranks. Our world is being confronted with multiple crises, the climate crisis, economic, social, geopolitical crises. Against such a backdrop, no country can do it alone, not even the largest, the mightiest, the richest countries. We all face common challenges which call for collective, coordinated, and inclusive solutions. There's a pressing need to reaffirm our commitment to collaboration. This is necessary more than ever today, and this is the thrust behind this conference. On behalf of Belgium, I unequivocally reiterate our support for multilateralism underpinned by clear, inclusive, and effective rules, well tailored to the challenges of our century. We stand ready to commit with other actors to defend what we've achieved a vector of stability, security, and prosperity in the long term. Our goal is not just to lock in our heritage, what's been achieved. We want to renew this heritage, and ambitiously so, to tackle the challenges and crises of our time. We do want to do this and to do it on the basis of development centered on the protection of global public goods, such as health, our climate, and stability. We also want this underpinned by partnerships that are genuinely mutually beneficial, centered on shared interests, interests that are important and common to us all. We want to listen to each other and exhibit mutual respect to create resilient, innovative collaboration that will result in tangible outcomes. Ladies and gentlemen, excellences, we want to harness all of the tools at our disposal, domestic resources, the dynamism of the private sector, sustainable investments, all of this underpinned by international cooperation that's more agile and coherent. Throughout the negotiations process and the run-up to the severe commitment being adopted, Belgium was one of the foremost voices calling for effectiveness and efficiency at the operational level. Against the backdrop of multilateral cooperation reform, we renewed our multi-year partnerships with our partner, the United Nations, and this because we firmly believe that they have a pivotal role to play. On top of that, we committed to ensure that every action we take counts, to ensure that all resources are used in the most coherent and effective fashion possible. It's imperative to protect our mandates, our know-how, our expertise, and to make the most of them. To achieve this, we need to coordinate our efforts to bolster complementarity and to intelligently streamline mandates and systems. we must act in a coherent fashion, rigorously, so as to maximize the impact of what we do. Moreover, our commitment must first and foremost be people-centered. One of the fundamental principles we follow is leaving no one behind. We do this by channeling concessional financing to those who need it most. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it's high time to rethink the way in which we cooperate. We need to pool our efforts and invite everyone who has the means to contribute to help tackle joint challenges in the spirit of rigor and responsibility. Let's forge our common future, our shared future. I thank you.


Chair [2:26:18]:

I thank Vice Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, of Belgium for her statement. And I now give the floor to His Excellency Ruben Dario Molina, Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.


Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) · Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs · Ruben Dario Molina [2:26:47]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to warmly greet you on behalf of the constitutional president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro Moros. and his people. We are grateful to Spain for its hospitality and to the Secretariat of the United Nations for its support. Mr. Chairman, it has been convincingly stated at this fourth conference on the existing deficit in financing for development. That is $4 trillion U.S. annually, according to UN data. The deficit impacts more than 100 developing countries with a population that covers half of all of the world's population, with a system that continues to enrich the global north. This is why we demand that the 0.7% of GDP be allocated to ODA. Mr. Chairman, Venezuela upholds the UN Charter, the strengthening of an inclusive multilateralism, international cooperation in all its modalities without any conditioning, and the urgent reform of the current unequal international financial architecture. With true equality for states and solidarity, we can achieve a full social inclusion, the eradication of poverty, and realize the the development rights of the global south, fostering without politicization and protecting the principles of the UN Charter. Unfortunately, we are very far from achieving in time the SDGs, and the main reason is the perpetuation of an unjust international economic order that fundamentally responds to the interests of developed countries. In the current system of capital, it generates poverty, hunger and misery in our countries. It fuels migration of our people. It criminalizes our people. It pillages our natural resources. In the past, we were called the Third World, underdeveloped. or in or developing now we're called the global South. Mr. Chairman, it is essential without further ado to reform the discredited international financial system to end the policy of exclusion, as in the case of Venezuela, which has been discriminated and excluded from the IMF special drawing rights. We demand immediate access and the lifting of the criminal and unjust unilateral unilateral coercive measures that covers one third of the global population, so-called sanctions. This seeks, undermines the sovereign projects of people of our nations. These measures have become the main obstacle for the financing for development of nations subject to these criminal practices, such as my country. Today, We confront these sanctions. The people of Cuba and courageous Nicaragua are also subject to these measures. We welcome the approval on the 16th of June 2025 in the General Assembly the decision that every 4th of December will be a day celebrated against unilateral coercive measures. Mr. Chairman, developed countries must assume their responsibility and restore the damage caused by colonialism and fulfill their pledge in terms of official development aid. It is necessary to radically put an end to the attempts to convert remittances of our migrants as part of ODA. And we also have suffered from external debt, a debt that we have paid various times in trillions of dollars in interest, and that we continue to pay for and continue to owe. External debt has become an eternal debt. Given this economic aggression against my country, Venezuela continues to work and trying to make progress with the private and public sector. We have fostered a movement of entrepreneurs through public financing and private financing, using our own natural and national resources. Mr. Chairman, We in Venezuela call on strengthening the multilateral trade system and thus achieve the integration of developing countries in the global value chains. We condemn the unilateral impositions of measures of blackmail and extortion. We'd like to highlight that the principle of common but shared responsibilities should be applied to the right to development is means difference of various development models. The microphone has been switched off.


Chair [2:32:26]:

I thank the Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of Venezuela, and I now give the floor to the distinguished President of Tonga to make a statement on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum.


Tonga · Pacific Islands Forum · President [2:33:02]:

Chair, Excellencies and colleagues, I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the membership of the Pacific Islands Forum. We thank the co-facilitators for their leadership and welcome the consensus adoption of the Compromiso de Sevilla. At a time of global division and uncertainty, this agreement reaffirms the multilateral system's potential to deliver collective solutions to shared challenges. This conference matters deeply for our region. The Pacific, home to some of the world's most vulnerable economies, is facing a convergence of global shocks, climate threats, and widening financing gaps. The FfT4 outcome must be more than a document. It must be a catalyst for practical and transformative actions that reaches those on the front line. We particularly welcome the Compromiso de Sevilla's commitment to a more inclusive, resilient, and effective development financing system, including, first, recognizing the role of Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, or MVI, in informing more equitable access to concessional finance. recognizing its value as a complement to existing tools in elucidating exhaustive structural development constraints, particularly those faced by small island developing states. Second, advancing debt sustainability tools, including the SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service and climate-resilient debt clauses to increase fiscal space for sustainable development. Third, scaling up disaster risk reduction and pre-arranged disaster financing to safeguard hard-won development gains. Fourth, strengthening inclusive governance across international financial institutions, giving developing countries, including SIDS, a stronger voice in how global rules are shaped. Fifth and the last point, and reaffirming commitments to gender equality disability inclusion, and indigenous participation, including investments in the care economy. We acknowledge and welcome the commitments already underway to address the withdrawal of correspondent banking services in the Pacific, including the Pacific Strengthening CBR project led by the World Bank and in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. and ADB's technical assistance and financing initiatives. These efforts are critical in supporting our economies to strengthen compliance frameworks and maintain access to essential financial services. We call for sustained international collaboration action and long-term solutions to ensure these measures deliver practical outcomes for Pacific economies and encourage financial inclusion across our region. We share deep concern about the sustainability of debt burdens across our region. We call for continued innovation in the debt and financing architecture and lifting the quality of infrastructure investment development in the Pacific, including greater debt transparency, enhanced tools for liquidity management, longer term low interest instruments, and tailored solutions that reflect vulnerability and risk exposure. Reform of multilateral development banks must prioritize SIDS needs and significantly increase access to grant-based and concessional finance. We also highlight the need for smooth, well-supported transition pathways for graduating countries, particularly those highly vulnerable to shocks and disasters. Current graduation approaches remain fragmented and risk undermining development progress. Transition frameworks must be strengthened with dedicated facilities, clear standards and real resourcing to facilitate tailored, coherent and integrated approaches and ensure that graduation does not disrupt sustainable development progress. Climate change remains the single greatest threat to our region's resilience, security, and prosperity. We welcome the new aspirational goal of mobilizing US$1.3 trillion per year by 2035 for climate finance from all public and private sources and all actors under the new collective quantified goal for climate finance. However, we underscore that this ambition must be underpinned by action, including developed countries taking the lead in mobilizing predictable, accessible and adequate finance. We also call on the international financial community to give full effect to the recognized special circumstances of small island developing states and least developed countries And this means restructuring financial flows to be country-owned, country-led, and country-managed through mechanisms such as the Pacific Resilience Facility. Doing so will ensure that finance reaches those most in need when they need it and supports long-term resilience and sustainability in the face of escalating climate and disaster risks. We also underscore the importance of investing in the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development, or PREDD, which articulates our collective pathway to economic resilience and sustainable, inclusive prosperity. We also stress the importance of ocean finance and the blue economy. The third United Nations Ocean Conference, or UNOC3, reinforced the urgency of protecting our ocean as the foundation of a sustainable economy and recognize that SDG 14, life below water, remains the least funded SDG. Now is the time to translate the UN-OCC3 commitments into investments by embedding sustainable ocean finance more firmly in global financing frameworks The health of the Blue Pacific continent must be at the center of inclusive climate resilient development in our region. Lastly, we look forward to working with all partners to ensure that the Compromiso de Sevilla becomes more than a document. It becomes a platform for delivering inclusive, principled, and lasting progress for all. Thank you.


Chair [2:40:38]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Tonga. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay.


Paraguay [2:41:10]:

Buenos dias.

Good morning, Mr. Chairman, distinguished ministers, your excellencies. On behalf of the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Mr. Santiago Pena, I'd like to thank the Kingdom of Spain for its hospitality as host of this conference. The multilateral system today is confronting various challenges, both the UN system as well as the World Trade Organization, require a new spirit that makes them suited to these new times. And it is precisely in the context of this conference that multilateral organizations have an opportunity to demonstrate their courage. conference offers an opportunity to address a revitalized financing framework that takes into account the needs of developing countries to agree on feasible goals and not simply to remain at the level of good intentions. While each country determines its path to development, national efforts must be supported by an international environment that enables them and provides the means for the effective implementation. Paraguay has elected a path to development marked by a deep transformation based on macroeconomic stability and institutional soundness. We have an economic situation that is robust. with a significant reduction of the levels of poverty. And we have experienced the highest economic growth on the continent over the past few years. Our commitment to sound economic institutions has allowed us in 2024 to obtain a higher level of investment and has enabled our economy to have the highest level of growth in Latin America in 2025. In this context, my country will continue to focus its efforts to to pending challenges such as an increasing investment in healthcare and education with the participation of all sectors of society. Also, we intend to diversify our production and improve conditions to facilitate investment in the country and access to international markets. Our position at the heart of South America, forces us to be a motor of inter-American integration. Investments made to improve connectivity are geared towards that. They facilitate direct connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans over the land route. We, however, would like to continue to emphasize the the major problems that we have due to a lack of access to the sea. This reduces our commerce and increases by 25% costs and reduces development by some 20% as well as reduces GDP growth by 1.5% compared to coastal countries. This is why we understand both the opportunities and vulnerabilities represented by global commerce. The history of Paraguay is one that demonstrates the role of international commerce as a driver of development. Today, Paraguay is the second most open economy of Latin America without any major restrictions to trade. This is why we actively contribute to the process of reform, both within the United Nations as within the WTO, and we are We're actively implementing all. Well, we are against all unilateral measures that undermine trade and ultimately development. In this context, it is crucial for us to stress the importance of increasing the components of international cooperation for development, including official development aid, concessional loans, transfer of technology, and technical assistance for this We must move towards indicators that go beyond the GDP per capita to determine eligibility to aid. International cooperation must reflect the realities and needs of developing countries and respond to their national priorities. This is why we cannot -- should we or should we not forget the obligation of developed countries to provide funds, also avoiding double accountability in providing these funds. To conclude, Mr. Chairman, this conference calls on us to work together. It is an essential opportunity for the international community to assume commitments that demonstrate a new era of multilateralism that is strengthened and based on solidarity. Paraguay is committed to being a part of this process of renovation of international institutions. Thank you.


Chair [2:46:15]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay for his statement. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Samoa.


Samoa [2:46:46]:

Mr. President, the pathway to where we are today has been long and arduous, but the commitment that has been steadfast and constructive from all parties involved. Since Rio in 1992, we continue to make pledges and commitment to the development agenda. But on review, we have merely renamed and repackaged everything. On top of this, we are witnessing the constant derailment of multilateralism and a shifting away of development financial obligations. As the world grapples with a growing and overlapping crisis, including wars and conflict, the finance needed to deliver our international development goals are insufficient. We must also address the inequities that are deeply ingrained in our obsolete global economic and financial architecture. Amidst a highly uncertain global macroeconomic outlook, aid budgets are shrinking, debt stress is more prevalent, and tariff and trade barriers are increasingly coupled with development challenges due to our remoteness and vulnerability. There is no doubt of the heightened calls for the reform global financial system. These are reflective of the frustration with a system that is out of step and out of date with the reality on the ground for most developing countries. Samoa calls for the urgent reform of the international financial architecture, for the multidimensional vulnerability index to be used as a tool for development support and assessing concessional finance, as well as for states to participate equally and fully in the global financial and economic governance. Such reform is at the core of a suite of measures aimed at the achievement of a more equitable, fair, and just system that is tailored to meet the needs of developing countries. Samoa believes that the MVI is an idea whose time has arrived. It represents one of the most practical ways in which the desire to reform the financial system can be made a reality. It also offers the opportunity, through its whole and components, to provide context when seeking to deliver sustainable development. It gives better understanding of our individual and collective vulnerability, so we might better position ourselves for decision we make, and more importantly, those taken on our behalf. Mr. President, we need a financial system that recognizes us, that understands us, and that works for us. We need to be more honest and transparent about aid. It is not only for the benefit of partner countries, but donors themselves. Between 2019 and 2023, overall aid decreased by 2% and represent only 0.37% of GNI. This is much less than the 0.7% committed in 1970. If such a commitment is fulfilled, an additional $196 billion in ODA is available for development effort. Mr. President, it is not uncommon to find developing countries spending more on debt repayments than they do on health care and education. Too often, our countries are necessitated to take on unsustainable debt to rebuild from disaster that we did not cause. The tools of a financial era long gone can no longer ensure our future. Mr. President, intention is no alternative for action. We owe to the most vulnerable among us and those furthest behind to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the implementation of the SDGs. Fa'afetai tele lava.


Chair [2:51:54]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Samoa. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh.


Bangladesh [2:52:20]:

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I extend my deepest appreciation to the United Nations and the government of Spain for hosting this historic conference at Seville. Bangladesh welcomes and supports agreed outcomes of Ff4 Compromiso de Sevilla and hope that all member states would be working together for their commitment and constructive engagement for action oriented structural solutions. Ladies and gentlemen, Bangladesh stands at a pivotal juncture, navigating what we call a double transition. On the one hand, We are preparing for our graduation from the LDC category in 2026, facing potential loss of trade preferences and concessional financing. On the other hand, we are passing through a momentous historical transformation. At the heart of our reform agenda is the transformation of public financial management. We are processing for medium and long-term revenue strategy with full automation of tax administration and modernization along with digital taxpayer services. Excellencies, Bangladesh's development cooperation landscape has matured significantly. We remain actively engaged in global platforms. Our challenges extends beyond economics. Bangladesh continues to host 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya from Myanmar, carrying an immense burden for the economy. While Bangladesh is taking bold measures, global solidarity is indispensable. In this context, allow me to highlight a few points. First, we call for continued international support measures for graduating LDCs to ensure the graduation remains sustainable and irreversible. Second, fulfill the 0.7% ODA commitment, prioritize untied, predictable aid aligned with country system. Third, fully operationalize the loss and damage fund with simplified, equitable, and timely disbursement mechanisms for frontline countries like ours. Fourth, establish a UN-led international framework for tax cooperation, ensuring simple, equitable global tax standards. Fifth, restore and strengthen the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and fully implement special and differential treatment for developing countries. Sixth, we urge the operationalization of debt swaps for climate and SDG-aligned investments and the establishment of fair, transparent, and coordinated frameworks to address debt sustainability. Seventh, unlock innovative financing solutions, such as social business, models and invest substantially in empowering our youth through education and digital training. Eight, establish a multilateral asset recovery and return mechanism to repatriate illicit funds. Finally, facilitate global cooperation support for the developing countries to attain SDG financing gaps through concessional finance, blended finance opportunities, and innovative partnerships. Distinguished delegates, we hope that this historic gathering would not simply be another gathering of aspirations. The financing for development crisis is ultimately a crisis of justice. We call upon all partners to join in building a new global compact that replaces rhetoric with results, exclusion with inclusion, so that no one is left behind. Let Seville be remembered not only as a meeting, but as a milestone, a moment of shared resolve to build a world of zero poverty, zero unemployment, net zero carbon emissions, and agreed structural changes for developing together. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.


Chair [2:56:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Monaco.


Monaco [2:57:17]:

President, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, this fourth International Conference on Financing for Development serves as an opportunity to rethink our approaches, to strengthen our commitments, and to catalyze transformative action. Our world is tackling unprecedented challenges, public health crises, conflicts, climate emergencies. It's also being hard hit by these shocks which are undermining the progress, hard-won progress we've made over the last few years. This is exacerbating inequalities. Financing for development is at the heart of our common ability to overcome these challenges and advance on SDG implementation. Against this backdrop, official development assistance is essential instrument, especially for the most vulnerable countries, in particular the LDCs. ODA is a way of supporting crucial investments in areas such as health, education, food security, and access to decent jobs. My government, well aware of this need and in keeping with our commitments, has been enacting an ODA policy that's very ambitious. We've prioritized the most vulnerable countries first and foremost. The amount of funds channelled there too has almost tripled in the last decade. Our ODA is exclusively in the form of grants. Our commitment has resulted in 637 euros per year per capita being spent, going to the most vulnerable. This means that Monaco is one of the most committed countries when it comes to promoting development. We've also achieved the Addis Ababa objective that is we are allocating 0.15% of our GDP to LDCs. We are prioritizing support for locally registered organizations well-versed in the realities on the ground and well-placed to implement solutions tailored to local needs and priorities. Thus, 42 percent of our ODA goes directly to such organizations. The work we do always supports public policies. It's focused on key sectors. health, especially combating communicable diseases and strengthening local health systems. Next, food security and nutrition. We support sustainable agricultural solutions and school feeding programs. Also, education and vocational training, in particular emphasizing girls' access to education and developing employment skills. also access to decent jobs, in particular for women and young people. We achieve this by supporting entrepreneurship and local economic development. This year, we are commemorating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. At this time, Monaco stands convinced that gender equality is a key vector of development. Thus, we're trying to ensure that our programs have a strong gender dimension. We're promoting women's empowerment and combating inequality. President, we've seen a downward trend in ODA. This is worrisome because ODA is absolutely vital for many states with fragile economies. By reiterating our collective commitment to financing for development, in addition to doing this, we also need to rethink our approaches and to draw conclusions from past experience. The development architecture must be tailored to current constraints and underpinned by multilateralism. The high level of private sector, regional development bank, and civil society participation in this conference is therefore particularly encouraging. Innovative financing needs to be developed further. For instance, green bonds which have strong social and environmental impacts. The public sector should be able to benefit from AI, creating an institutional framework that's conducive to investment. Thanks to automation, improved risk management, and the optimization of operations, AI can thus contribute to making substantive savings. The goal is always going to be reducing the cost of capital, which remains too high. President, the severe commitment is marks a turning point. This political framework, policy framework, is an opportunity to establish partnerships for assisting national development trajectories. National ownership is the cornerstone of success, as is mutual trust. Global solidarity and the well-being of our people should, under all circumstances, be our lodestars. I thank you.


Chair [3:02:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Monaco, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sri Lanka.


Sri Lanka [3:02:40]:

Good afternoon, Mr. President. On behalf of the government and people of Sri Lanka, I extend our deep appreciation to the Kingdom of Spain of hosting this important conference and for the generous hospitality extended to our delegation. We also commend the co-chairs of the preparatory committees and the co-facilitators for their collaborative approach, which enabled us to adopt a forward-looking outcome document. Mr. President, the global development landscape has shifted dramatically since we last met to adopt a framework for financing development. Distress, climate volatility, geopolitical fragmentation, and demographic pressures have all amplified inequity and instability, particularly for development nations. Sri Lanka, like many others, faced all of these shocks. culminating in a debt default that tested our institutions and public trust. In response, Sri Lanka has chosen transformation. A newly elected government, rising amidst national crisis, has placed bold reforms and ethical governance at the heart of its mandate. With the support of the International Monetary Fund, we are navigating the complex but steady debt restructuring process. While still ongoing, we have consistently achieve key milestones and remain flexible in addressing new shocks. This has restored international confidence and Sri Lanka's journey is increasingly seen as a living model of collaborative, development-focused recovery. It is in this context Sri Lanka emphasize the critical importance of enhancing policy and fiscal space for developing countries to take the necessary decisions required to advance sustainable development Mr. President The government recognizes that Sri Lanka's recovery must be more than fiscal. It must be value-driven. We have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, enacting digital transparency, institutional reforms, and civic accountability. To build momentum and national identity around this change, we have launched the Clean Sri Lanka Initiative, a campaign that unites environmental stewardship, equity, and public ethics under the one transformative vision. Mr. President, mobilizing domestic resources to achieve the SDGs remains key. We are modernizing tax systems, formalizing the informal economy, and expanding digital public finance. But we must also innovate. In Sri Lanka, the deeply rooted culture of civic generosity, reflected in community giving and shared responsibility, plays quiet yet powerful role in national resilience. These contributions, though informal, sustain social protection and local development. We are exploring how to thoughtfully recognize and integrate these collective values into our development financing strategies, with transparency and cultural sensitivity. They could strengthen social capital and unlock new forms of grassroots economic participation. This model, through modest in volume, may offer valuable lessons for other countries seeking sustainable and community-driven resource mobilization. In this effort, There must be an enabling international environment. Sri Lanka supports calls for global cooperation to address illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and inclusion of multinational corporations in fair taxation policies. These issues erode the revenue base of developing countries and must be addressed. Middle-income countries exposed to demographic and climate vulnerabilities must not be overlooked in global finance frameworks. Access to non-debt creating finance must account for multidimensional fragility, not just income status. We reaffirm our call to re-channel at least 50% of unused special drawing rights towards inclusive climate-smart investment. Mr. President, As our President has emphasized, Sri Lanka's untapped potential is its greatest asset. With the strategic access to the Indian Ocean, rich marine ecosystem, and consistent sun and wind, we are positioned to become a regional hub for blue and green economic growth. We are developing the Marine Special Plan to unlock sustainable investment in fisheries, aquaculture, marine biotech, and coastal tourism. We also urge multilateral development banks to innovate by issuing local currency bonds in emerging markets, helping countries manage currency risks while deepening domestic capital markets. Mr. President, digital Equity remains another frontier; we seek strong international cooperation to build public digital infrastructure, enable inclusive AI and transfer low-emissions technologies, especially as aging societies like ours. enter a new development era. Sri Lanka stands today not just as a country in recovery, but as a country in prevention. We are embedding resilience, redefining reform, and reimagining our development strategy. We reaffirm support for the promise of the compromise ODI and look forward to collaborate action in implementation. Thank you very much.


Chair [3:08:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Sri Lanka for his statement. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Latvia.


Latvia [3:08:44]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, let me first congratulate the government of Spain on the successful organization of this conference. As many of you have already said, we have gathered here at a critical point. The gap for achieving SDGs is widening as escalating conflicts, geopolitical fragmentation, soaring debt levels, and urgent climate financing needs put additional pressure on available resources. Reform of the international financial architecture and increased financial capacity is urgently needed. So let us focus on the steps that can take us forward. Multilateral development banks play a crucial role. Through ongoing reforms, deeper partnerships, and strategic use of financing and knowledge, MDBs can scale up support to developing countries. We welcome innovative financial instruments like the World Bank's hybrid capital, which significantly boosts lending capacity while safeguarding financial stability. Latvia is proud to lead as the first signatory, demonstrating our commitment to impactful, forward-looking solutions. To support the world's poorest countries, many of which face compounding challenges such as fragility, climate shocks, and debt distress, International Development Association exemplifies the power of multilateral partnership. Latvia's 60% increase in its IDA21 contribution shows our strong commitment and growing ambition to help partner countries meet today's global challenges. Furthermore, we must look at all possible funding sources. We believe that domestic resource mobilization and, in particular, progressive tax systems present a significant untapped opportunity for increasing funds. We encourage MDBs to lead in supporting borrowing countries with targeted structural reforms to strengthen domestic resource mobilization. Progressive DRM is a powerful tool to reduce inequality, support climate goals, and advance SDGs by ensuring that those with greater means contribute more while protecting the most vulnerable. Excellencies, After regaining the independence more than three decades ago, Latvia received support from others to overcome our development challenges. Now, more than two decades, Latvia is helping those most in need and promoting equal opportunities for all. Development and addressing fragility also require institutional accountability and transparency. that is a strong advocate for good governance, public financial management, rule of law, anti-corruption, and democratic participation through partnerships for development. Sustainable development requires investment in human capital and resilience. For this, we cannot underestimate the importance of civil society involvement. Finally, there can be no sustainable development without peace. At this moment, when the number of armed conflicts is highest in 80 years, and one of them being Russia's aggression against Ukraine, we must now recommit to the principles of UN Charter and rules-based order. Libya, as a newly elected member of UN Security Council, will strive to protect these principles. We are committed to strengthening the resilience of the multilateral system and find common solutions for security and development, including support for empowering of women, addressing climate change, especially sustainable solutions for access to clean water, and bridging digital divides. Distinguished delegates, Let this conference be more than a line-up of speeches, but a turning point and a momentum to reimagine and re-energize financing for development. Latvia, as a member of the EU, will continue to be a reliable and responsible partner in this process. I thank you.


Chair [3:13:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Latvia for her statement. Distinguished delegates, we have heard the last speaker in the general debate for this meeting. The general debate will continue this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in this hall. The meeting is adjourned.