We hosted alongside Elcano Royal Institute, with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a high-level 1.5-day event in Madrid focused on the future of international development finance. Following the landmark 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) held in Seville in July 2025, this initiative seeks to transition from diplomatic consensus to the practical implementation of the Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA). At a time when the multilateral system faces significant pressure and trust between traditional allies is being tested, the SPA stands as a vital roadmap for closing the global SDG financing gap. This event provides a timely space to move beyond the “Sevilla Commitment” and define exactly how the international community will walk the talk in an increasingly complex global landscape.
This event addresses the most pressing pillars of the current agenda, discussions focus on the reality of declining official development assistance, the urgent need for debt sustainability and restructuring, and the evolving role of multilateral and public development banks in mobilising private capital. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, we aim to identify the concrete bottlenecks that could stall the SPA and propose solutions that align with the shifting realities of a post-aid world.
The programme features participants including Eva Granados, the Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation, joined by influential figures such as Shari Spiegel of UNDESA, Thomas Mélonio of the French Development Agency, and Pilar Garrido from the OECD. This concentration of expertise ensures that the dialogue remains both policy-relevant and operationally grounded, bridging the gap between academic research and high-level decision-making in the EU and AU spheres.
The event started on 29 January, with a public debate hosted at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs titled “The Way from Seville: Financing Development in a Post-Aid Era.” This opening session explored how the system can set new priorities in the face of substantial budget cuts and what the early achievements of the SPA have been six months post-conference. The proceedings will then shift on Friday, 30 January, to a series of closed-door workshops at Elcano’s premises.Participants engaged in deeper, technical reflections on aid governance, the integration of development banks as a system, and the creation of multilateral spaces to manage the global debt burden more effectively.
