Excellencies, dear colleagues, 

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States. 

I would like to start by expressing our sincere appreciation and thanks to the co-facilitators Mexico, Nepal, Norway, and Zambia, for the enormous efforts in delivering the negotiations and ensuing an outcome document. What looked like mission impossible, you have achieved. Thank you. Also a big thanks goes to the co-chairs who have steered the process and to the secretariat for their support.   

Colleagues, the EU has repeated time and again that this process is about more than financing for development, more than the 2030 Agenda or about achieving the SDGs. It is about all of those, yes. But it is also fundamentally about showcasing that multilateralism delivers. 

We face existential global challenges: Poverty. Inequalities, including gender inequality.  A triple planetary crisis that is devastating livelihoods and ruining lives. Not to mention wars, conflict, fragility, and divisive geopolitical tensions and attacks on international law and the UN Charter.  And an enormous gap in financing for sustainable development. 

And yet today, here we are, together as the UN membership, to recommend to the 4^th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville a new vision document on financing for development. One that sets an ambitious path forward, building on its predecessors. 

Colleagues: multilateralism is a choice, and we are here today confirming together that we choose to pursue and support multilateralism. 

The document that we are recommending today is ambitious. It contains forward looking aspirations and goals. 

The EU and its Member States have engaged constructively and actively in the negotiations. To give but a few examples, we have built the necessary bridges and helped include ambitious and unprecedented language across all of our joint priorities: there is strong language on reform of the international financial architecture, on stepping up efforts to rechannel SDRs to countries in need, including through MDBs. We underscore the need to enhance the voice of developing countries in global financial governance. 

In a comprehensive and ambitious package on debt there are numerous actions addressing all aspects of debt challenges and lowering the cost of borrowing: 

• we pledge our support to operationalizing the Debt Sustainability Support Service for the SIDS;
• we establish a Borrowers Club;  and
• we lend strong political support to the G20 Common Framework, improving and  expanding access to coordinated debt treatments to countries not covered by current initiatives. 

The text also reflects a strong collective commitment to enhancing gender equality and fostering transparency, accountability, rule of law, good governance and sound policies at all levels. 

We commit to integrate anti-corruption as a cross-cutting issue to enhance public sector integrity and public trust, reduce inequalities, ensure fair domestic resource allocation and increase private investments and economic growth. 

Not everything is perfect with the text, of course, but we support it and I am pleased to announce that we will join consensus. 

This reflects the fact that, beyond the words on paper, The European Union and its Member States remain fully committed to our role as a leading supporter and partner in sustainable development, ensuring that no one is left behind and striving to shape a fairer, more inclusive global financial system. FfD4 will be a critical opportunity to accelerate global efforts to finance development, strengthen domestic revenue, catalyze private business and finance, continue to reform the international financing framework, and address growing debt challenges. 

If we are to succeed, this must become a joint effort - every source of finance has to be mobilized – public, private, domestic and international.  Other potential donors have to increase their own commitments and support to this effort – mere words, frankly, are as cheap today as they ever were. National ownership, national strategies, and domestic resources will be at the heart of each country’s sustainable development. International solidarity is needed to support those furthest behind. The EU and its Member States are and will remain stable and dependable partners in that respect. 

Looking at scale and scope, private business and finance is what will go the furthest in providing decent jobs, economic transformation, and ultimately domestic revenue and financing for direly needed investments.  The EU’s toolbox of instruments and billions in guarantees, grants and investment, under Global Gateway will support these efforts. The commitment of our partners to the creation of mutually beneficial and transparent partnerships will be imperative to achieve results. 

Colleagues, the next stop is Seville. The EU and its Member States will be present at the highest political level to deliver and showcase concrete commitments.  As to New York, we are committed to continue building mutual trust, solidarity, and values-based partnerships to advance our common agenda. 

Thank you.