Seville: Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, participated in the United Nations' Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), held in Seville, Spain from 30 June to 3 July 2025.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the conference, now in its fourth edition, serves as a key international platform that gathers world leaders, heads of international organizations, financial experts, and private sector representatives to collaborate on advancing sustainable development financing. This year's discussions focus on enhancing the international financial architecture and addressing funding challenges that hinder progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Priority areas include domestic resource mobilisation, data-driven policymaking, climate-aligned finance, debt sustainability, multilateral bank reform, aid transparency, and strengthened global partnerships.
The conference commenced with a keynote address by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, highlighting the importance of advancing multilateral cooperation to establish resilient financing systems that meet evolving development needs. His opening remarks were made in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Letizia. During the opening session, HE Pedro S¡nchez P©rez-Castej³n, President of the Government of Spain, was elected President of the Conference and emphasized that development financing is a cornerstone for advancing global efforts toward achieving the SDGs.
High-level remarks were also delivered by Ant³nio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General; Phil©mon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly; Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council; Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal, World Trade Organization Director-General. They collectively called for urgent and coordinated international action to address systemic financing gaps, climate-related challenges, and mounting debt burdens in developing countries, while highlighting the need to reform the global financial architecture to be fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable.
During the conference, the Compromiso de Sevilla (the Seville Commitment) was officially adopted and agreed upon. This outcome document outlined a renewed global framework for financing sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on areas related to international tax cooperation and debt resolution.
Bahrain's participation in the forum reiterates its longstanding commitment to international cooperation and its active support for global efforts to strengthen development financing. By investing in the financial sector, promoting innovation, and fostering international partnerships, Bahrain aims to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for generations to come.