From June 29 to July 2, 2025, the city of Seville hosted the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), bringing together political leaders, representatives of international organizations, private sector stakeholders, and members of civil society.
Organized by the United Nations, this edition brought together more than 170 state delegations, representatives from the private sector, and civil society. This conference led to the adoption of a set of concrete commitments aimed at reforming the global financial architecture and revitalizing investment flows to developing countries, particularly in Africa.
A Strategic Direction: Reforming the Global Financial System
The conference opened with a strong message from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for a fundamental overhaul of the international financial system. Faced with unsustainable debt for developing countries and an architecture deemed obsolete, recommendations were made to :
The adoption of the Seville Declaration, comprising 130 concrete commitments, laid the foundations for enhanced cooperation in sustainable financing, taxation, the energy transition, and mobilizing private capital.
Investment in Africa : Strengthened Prospects
Africa, often referred to as the "next frontier of development," occupied a central place in the discussions. Three key themes emerged from this conference :
What role for the private sector and South-South partnerships?
The conference highlighted the levers that the private sector must activate to accelerate development financing, in synergy with governments and multilateral institutions :
An opportunity for Africa, Russia, and Eurasia
The 4th Seville Conference marks a turning point in development financing. It lays the foundations for a more equitable, resilient system adapted to the challenges of emerging economies. For African countries, the challenge now is to transform political commitments into concrete investment programs, with the active support of the private sector and the expansion of South-South partnerships.
The ICC stands ready to support its members in identifying, structuring, and implementing high-impact projects and to play a catalytic role in the implementation of strategic alliances for shared sustainable development.
Organized by the United Nations, this edition brought together more than 170 state delegations, representatives from the private sector, and civil society. This conference led to the adoption of a set of concrete commitments aimed at reforming the global financial architecture and revitalizing investment flows to developing countries, particularly in Africa.
A Strategic Direction: Reforming the Global Financial System
The conference opened with a strong message from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for a fundamental overhaul of the international financial system. Faced with unsustainable debt for developing countries and an architecture deemed obsolete, recommendations were made to :
- Double Official Development Assistance (ODA),
- Triple the lending capacity of multilateral banks,
- Promote automatic debt relief and suspension mechanisms,
- Strengthen equitable taxation at the global level.
The adoption of the Seville Declaration, comprising 130 concrete commitments, laid the foundations for enhanced cooperation in sustainable financing, taxation, the energy transition, and mobilizing private capital.
Investment in Africa : Strengthened Prospects
Africa, often referred to as the "next frontier of development," occupied a central place in the discussions. Three key themes emerged from this conference :
- Creating fiscal space for priority public investments through fairer debt management;
- Strengthening private investment, particularly through structured and guaranteed projects in high-potential sectors (energy, agribusiness, infrastructure)
- Climate mobilization, with a call to significantly redirect financial flows to African countries for the energy transition.
What role for the private sector and South-South partnerships?
The conference highlighted the levers that the private sector must activate to accelerate development financing, in synergy with governments and multilateral institutions :
- Development of bankable and legally secure projects;
- Strengthened public-private partnerships, similar to the successes recorded in several African and Eurasian countries;
- Promotion of South-South economic exchanges, particularly between Africa, Russia, and Central Asian countries, on key themes: industrialization, innovation, sustainable agriculture, and regional logistics;
- Mobilization of innovative financial instruments: green bonds, blended funds, fintechs, etc.
An opportunity for Africa, Russia, and Eurasia
The 4th Seville Conference marks a turning point in development financing. It lays the foundations for a more equitable, resilient system adapted to the challenges of emerging economies. For African countries, the challenge now is to transform political commitments into concrete investment programs, with the active support of the private sector and the expansion of South-South partnerships.
The ICC stands ready to support its members in identifying, structuring, and implementing high-impact projects and to play a catalytic role in the implementation of strategic alliances for shared sustainable development.