<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, called on all countries present at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville this Wednesday to meet the goal of allocating 0.7% of their Gross National Product to Official Development Assistance (ODA).</strong></h4> During his speech at the Conference's General Debate, held at the Seville Conference and Exhibition Center (FIBES), Albares stated that Spain has already incorporated this goal into its Cooperation Law, which "reaffirms the multidimensional nature of sustainable development and advocates for development metrics to incorporate indicators beyond Gross Domestic Product." Albares also warned that, although ODA remains essential, on its own it is "insufficient." He therefore urged the mobilization of more public resources and the contribution of the private sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Regarding the mobilization of domestic public resources, Albares warned of the need to promote progressive tax systems and combat illicit financial flows, and reaffirmed Spain's commitment to greater international tax cooperation. All of these issues, he recalled, are reflected in the "Seville Commitment," the Conference's final document, which also includes measures to improve debt sustainability, strengthen the financial safety net, and boost the representativeness of international financial institutions and the potential of trade, along with technology and innovation, as drivers of sustainable development. The minister also explained that in Seville, Spain seeks to promote a collective commitment to achieve gender parity in the decision-making bodies of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks, as well as to integrate a robust gender perspective into all financing mechanisms. Albares also emphasized that a monitoring mechanism that guarantees accountability and the effective implementation of the actions and commitments reached will be essential for progress to materialize. <span class="jCAhz ChMk0b"><span class="ryNqvb">“This Conference lays the foundations for the new global partnership on financing for development,” because “we need more and better resources for sustainable development,” Albares declared during his speech.</span></span><span class="jCAhz ChMk0b"><span class="ryNqvb"> “You can count on Spain in this collective effort to make the Seville Commitment a reality, the roadmap for the future with which we have established ourselves to renew the global framework for financing for development and to contribute—and that is the main objective of this conference—to a more equitable and sustainable world in which every citizen finds their place,” he concluded.</span></span> <h5><strong>Other events</strong></h5> Minister Albares completed the day's agenda with a speech at the side event "Spain-OECD-UNCTAD," held under the title "New approaches for renewed international cooperation: beyond GDP." Another side event that Albares inaugurated was "Financing the localization of the SDGs," where the minister expressed the need to "mobilize more resources and use them in the most effective way possible." He also closed a special event on Global Health, where he proclaimed the need for "a renewed vision, a collective commitment, and a roadmap that will lead us toward sustainable, equitable, and better coordinated health financing." Albares also had the opportunity to join Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for the presentation of the Global Action Initiative for Health, in coordination with the WHO, GAVI, and the Global Fund.
