The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)
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The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) offers a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including supporting the reform of international financial architecture.
It is the only forum where leaders from governments, international organisations, financial and trade institutions, businesses, civil society, and the UN system meet at the highest level to strengthen cooperation.
On 15 January 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for financial reform to tackle inequality, urging institutions to “represent today’s economy, not that of 1945”, and highlighted FfD4 as key to achieving SDG breakthroughs.
The framework for development financing shapes the architecture of international development. It is essential to ensure that public interest media are explicitly referenced in the outcome document, recognising their vital role in promoting transparency, accountability, and public engagement in development financing.
Furthermore, the document should include stronger references to civil society and robust human rights commitments, reinforcing the principle that international development and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
Increasingly, international development financing is supporting the expansion of digital infrastructure, often through partnerships with private capital. Without adequate safeguards for human rights, transparency, accountability, and oversight in these projects, civil society stakeholders and the general public risk being excluded from decision-making processes. This, in turn, jeopardises the inclusivity and equitability of the infrastructure, undermining its potential to serve the broader public interest.
10th March 2025: - New draft of the text to be circulated. Time will be given for Member States to comment on the next draft and consult Capitals.
24th March: — PR Level Meeting for general comments on the new text.
24th March - 28th March: First round of intersessionals (negotiations).
1st April - 4th April: Second round of intersessionals (negotiations). The co-chairs and the Bureau will be discussing CSO and other stakeholder participation to reach an agreement on whether CSOs will be able to participate/observe or if they will be closed negotiations.
30 April - 1 May 2025: First part of the PrepComm’s fourth session.
2 May 2025: Member States offer general comments on the draft outcome document.
5-9 May 2025: Line-by-line text-based negotiations.
12-23 May 2025: Co-facilitators hold informal informals and consultations.
27-30 May 2025: Third intersessional featuring line-by-line text-based negotiations.
Mid-June 2025: The fourth session of the PrepComm reconvenes with the aim of reaching a consensus on the outcome document.
30 June - 3 July 2025: FfD4 convenes in Seville, Spain, focused on reforming financing and international financial architecture.
GFMD urges UN member states to consider two key points to strengthen FFD4 and ensure its success:
Align with existing global commitments – FFD4 should explicitly integrate commitments from the SDGs, particularly SDG 16, and the Pact for the Future. These frameworks emphasize effective governance, transparency, and freedom of expression. The Pact for the Future also establishes principles for trustworthy news and digital governance through the Global Digital Compact. Reinforcing these commitments will bolster FFD4’s foundational aims.
Support public interest media – Public interest media plays a crucial role in transparency, accountability, and public engagement in development financing. We urge recognition of investigative journalism’s contributions and support for institutional infrastructure that ensures professional media serves the public good. Strengthening statistical literacy among journalists and citizens will enhance understanding of development finance and ensure accountability. A robust, independent media system is essential for FFD4’s success, both nationally and internationally.
