From 31 June to 3 July, Sevilla will host the fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). This conference represents a pivotal moment for the global community to rethink its approach to financing sustainable development and climate action.
As the world prepares for this critical conference in unsettling times, it is important to emphasise that FfD4 is not an end in itself. Unfortunately the preparatory process in some member states and regions has been slow, owing to issues of coordination within countries (between e.g. foreign and finance ministries, resp. MoFA and MoFin) and between countries (building alliances – especially between donor countries and the so-called “Global South” – on key issues). Given the tensions and lack of progress witnessed in multilateral fora like COP29, there is a clear need for more space for dialogue, ahead of the third preparatory meeting and negotiations, to be held in mid-February. In view of the global setting, it is this dialogue that may pave the way to an ambitious and cohesive FFD4.
Based on its work on FfD4, the European Think Tank Group (ETTG) organised an informal and closed-door dialogue in Paris for EU and European policy-makers from foreign and finance ministries, complemented with key experts and civil society representatives. The exchange of ideas on key issues including inter alia debt, domestic resource mobilisation, the role of public development banks, revealed several key challenges that need to be addressed if the EU is to seize FfD4 as a key opportunity to present a united front and strengthen its partnerships with the Global South.
Read the blog post on ETTG website
ETTG Blog by Karim Karaki (ECDPM) and Niels Keijzer (IDOS) with the contribution of Damien Barchiche (IDDRI), Ben Katoka (IDDRI), Iliana Olivié (ETTG / Elcano), María Santillán O’Shea (Elcano) and Daniele Fattibene (ETTG)
