Global Cooperation Key as FfD4 Begins in Spain

The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), began 30 June and will conclude 3 July 2025 in FIBES Sevilla Exhibition and Conference Centre, Spain.

As the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) kicks off in Sevilla, Spain, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

At a moment when much of the world is distracted by geopolitical rivalries, battles over tax and spending, and declining aid, FfD4 is quietly assembling nearly every government on earth to discuss how we fund the future.

Behind the formal speeches and policy jargon is a rare and vital opportunity to rethink the global financial system in a way that is fairer, more inclusive, and better equipped to serve both people and planet.

This isn’t just another international summit. It’s the first such meeting in a decade, and it comes at a time when development finance systems are under unprecedented strain. Climate shocks, austerity measures, and widening inequality are colliding with falling aid budgets and a debt crisis affecting over 50 countries. For many in the Global South, the question isn’t how to accelerate progress, it’s how to avoid collapse.

And yet, amid all this, 193 countries will show up. They’ve come not just to debate, but to negotiate, align, and hopefully act. That, in itself, is worth noting. Multilateralism isn’t dead. Leadership is coming from new sources and the Compromiso de Sevilla demonstrates that agreement is still possible.

From Global Goals to Ground-Level Gaps

The world has made bold promises, such as meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, but we are falling far behind. Financing gaps are widening, and trust in international institutions is eroding. But FfD4 offers a chance to restore some of that trust by showing that global cooperation can still deliver practical, people-centered solutions.

This week, governments will be pressed to move from vague commitments to concrete steps. That means scaling up fair tax systems that generate domestic revenue without deepening inequality. It means reimagining the way sovereign debt is taken on and managed so that countries aren’t forced to choose between paying creditors and paying teachers.

And it means strengthening the transparency and accountability mechanisms that ensure resources reach the people who need them most.

Quiet Achievements, Real Stakes

It’s easy to dismiss global conferences as talk shops. But in a fractured world, dialogue is essential. Even before the conference began, diplomats reached consensus on a shared outcome document. It won’t satisfy every stakeholder, and it’s far from revolutionary, but it affirms something many feared lost: a willingness to work together.

The document supports stronger domestic resource mobilization, enhanced transparency in fiscal systems, more equitable tax cooperation, and steps toward reforming the debt architecture. These are not minor tweaks, they’re foundational issues that will determine whether countries can invest in health, education, and climate resilience.

The real test, of course, begins after Sevilla. Commitments on paper mean little without follow-through. That’s why the implementation phase must include robust accountability, and why funders and civil society have a critical role to play in sustaining momentum.

Where Philanthropy Comes In

One glaring omission in both the lead-up to this conference and the outcome document itself is the role of philanthropy. Mentioned only once in the official document and only as a potential contributor to pooled capital, there has been little consideration of the role of philanthropy in future development finance.

That’s a mistake.

Philanthropy isn’t a substitute for public finance, but it is a powerful complement. It can take risks governments can’t. It can move resources quickly. And it can help ensure that the most marginalized voices, often excluded from elite negotiating tables, are heard and heeded.

At the Trust, Accountability and Inclusion Collaborative, we’ve seen how funders can drive progress by supporting more inclusive decision making and helping watchdogs, media and open government champions help shine a light on how money is spent and whether it’s truly serving the public interest.

Philanthropy can also help Global South governments navigate the technical and political complexities of international tax and debt processes, ensuring they’re not just at the table, but empowered to lead.

And critically, funders can support civil society organizations that encourage civic participation, monitor progress, demand results, and build public trust. In an age of growing authoritarianism and civic space closures, this kind of support is more important than ever.

A Moment to Build On

Sevilla will not solve the world’s financing challenges in four days. But it can mark a turning point. It can begin to restore trust in a multilateral system that too often feels distant, slow, or captured by narrow interests. It can elevate issues like financial integrity, equitable taxation, and debt justice that are too often buried in technical discussions.

And it can create space for new actors, especially from philanthropy and civil society, to step up and help turn ambition into action.

We are not powerless in the face of global fragmentation. Progress is still possible. FfD4 reminds us that the machinery of cooperation still exists. The question is whether we are willing to use it.