Activities of Secretary-General in Spain, 29 June - 1 July
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Sevilla, Spain, on Sunday, 29 June, to take part in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), which was being co-hosted by Spain and took place from 30 June to 3 July.
In the afternoon, he met with His Majesty Don Felipe VI, King of Spain. They discussed ongoing efforts to advance the international financing for development agenda. During the meeting, the Secretary-General expressed his deep gratitude for Spain’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism and the UN system, as well as its leadership role in international cooperation and as a permanent bridge builder between the North and the South.
In the evening, the Secretary-General attended a dinner hosted by H.H.M.M. the King and Queen of Spain.
On Monday morning, 30 June, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón. They discussed efforts to advance international financing for development and Spain’s cooperation with the UN in this regard. The Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for the magnificent organization of the Conference and Spain’s warm hospitality.
Soon after, together with President of the Government of Spain, the Secretary-General met and greeted Heads of State and Government. This was followed by a family photo.
Then, also with the President of the Government of Spain, the Secretary-General welcomed Don Felipe VI, King of Spain, and Queen Letizia.
The Secretary-General then delivered remarks during the Conference’s opening session and underscored that financing is the engine of development, and right now, this engine is sputtering. He warned that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, our global promise to transform our world for a better, fairer future, is in danger.
The Secretary-General stressed that the Conference wasn’t about charity, it was about restoring justice and lives of dignity. He also added that the Conference wasn’t about money, it was about investing in the future we want to build, together.
Speaking to the media afterwards, in a joint press encounter with the President of the Government of Spain, the Secretary-General underscored that with the adoption of the Sevilla Commitment document, countries are proving their dedication to getting the engine of development revving again. Above all, he added, Sevilla was about solutions and finding these solutions at a divided and difficult moment for the human family.
The Secretary-General said that it was his hope that the collective efforts in Sevilla can inspire and motivate the countries of the world to work as one to solve other global challenges.
In the afternoon, at the launch of the Sevilla Platform for Action, the Secretary-General highlighted that the Platform offers an ambitious, action-oriented response to the global financing challenge. He pointed out that in the midst of a world of division, conflict and economic uncertainty, the Platform contains more than 130 specific initiatives that demonstrate what we can achieve by working together.
Soon after, at the opening of the International Business Forum, the Secretary-General underscored that by uniting public and private sector leaders, regulators and development banks, we can ensure that the Conference is not an end, but rather a beginning.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a series of bilateral meetings, including with the President of the Republic of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa Azín, with the Prime Minister of Nepal, K.P. Sharma Oli, with the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, with the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, and the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal.
The Secretary-General also met Deemah AlYahya, the Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, and also held a bilateral meeting with Mark Suzman, CEO and Board Member of the Gates Foundation.
Later in the evening, the Secretary-General attended a cocktail-style dinner hosted by the President of the Government of Spain with Heads of State and Government.
On Tuesday morning, 1 July, the Secretary-General held a closed-door meeting with Heads of the multilateral development banks, which the President of the Government of Spain also participated, as well as the Deputy-Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed.
He then had a meeting with Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia and the First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, before leaving Sevilla, Spain.