LoGRI at the 4th International Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla, Spain

Alongside our colleagues at the ICTD, LoGRI Chair Dr. Wilson Prichard and Program Director Moyo Arewa attended the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla, Spain from June 30 to July 3, 2025.

FfD4 marked a unique opportunity for heads of state, international and regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society groups to come together to address the rapidly changing landscape of international development and financial assistance. Over 15,000 participants travelled to Sevilla to discuss common challenges and to explore potential innovative solutions.

Our Team in Sevilla

Financing the Localisation of the SDGs

• Date: 2^nd July (Wednesday)
• Time: 9:30 – 11:15 CET
• Venue: Sala Santo Tomas, Seville City Hall, Nueva Square, 1, 41001, Sevilla
• Organizers: Local2030 Coalition, UNEP, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, and UNICEF

Dr. Prichard spoke at a closed-door roundtable discussion on local financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event featured attendees from various international organizations (UN Habitat; UNEP, UNDP, UrbanShift partners; UNICEF; C40; CCFLA; Local Champions; ICLEI; WOFI – OECD; UCLG; SDG Urban Finance Commission) representatives of international financial institutions (EBRD; CAF, AfDB), and representatives of national, local and regional governments.

Key question discussed in the session included:

• How can we use the momentum  from  FfD4  to amplify the messaging and local implementation of the SDGs ahead of other high-profile conferences like COP30?
• How can national and international  stakeholders help enable and complement the efforts of local and regional governments to strengthen fiscal autonomy and improve own-source revenue mobilization?
• How can development finance institutions, the private sector, and capital markets be effectively engaged to support local priorities, particularly through innovative instruments such as green bonds, sukuks, and guarantee funds?

Financing our Urban Future: Scaling Up Investment in and through Cities

• Date: 3^rd July (Thursday)
• Time: 12:30 – 14:00 CET
• Venue: Side Event Room 24
• Organizers: UN-HABITAT, The World Bank, SDSN Global Commission for urban SDG Finance

Dr. Prichard also participated in a side event that explored the urgent need to rethink financing for sustainable urban development and the role of cities as engines of growth. With a focus on implementation, participants discussed:

• How international partners, national, local and regional governments, and private sector actors can act on the policy commitments set out in the FfD4 Outcome Document to scale up financing for urban investments,
• What specific actions could be taken to improve financial flows to cities and enhance local government capacity, and
• Issued a call to action for a more coordinated global approach to financing sustainable urban development. 

For more information about the FfD4 process, and for the full conference program, visit the official FfD4 website.

Read the final draft of the FfD4 Outcome Document, “Sevilla Commitment” here.