As POLIFA, a civil society organization committed to environmental justice, democratic global governance, and equitable development, we align with the collective voice of global civil society in expressing deep concern over the inadequacies of the FfD4 outcome document, “Compromiso de Sevilla.” At a time of overlapping climate, debt, inequality, and democratic crises, the failure of the international community—particularly Global North governments—to act boldly is unacceptable.
We call for urgent and structural transformation across the global financial and development systems.
Key Advocacy Points:
1. Justice-Driven Financial Architecture Reform
The global financial architecture must be fundamentally redesigned to serve people and the planet—not corporate profit. The current system entrenches colonial patterns of extraction and disempowerment. We demand:
- A legally binding UN Convention on Sovereign Debt to ensure fair and transparent debt resolution.
- A UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, grounded in equity, transparency, and human rights.
- A decisive shift away from creditor-driven governance structures (IMF, World Bank, G20) toward UN-centered democratic economic governance.
2. Debt Justice Now
Half of humanity lives in countries spending more on debt repayments than health or education. The debt crisis is a justice crisis. POLIFA demands:
- Debt cancellation and automatic suspension mechanisms during climate, health, or economic shocks.
- An end to the dominance of private creditors and holdout funds.
- Debt audits to identify illegitimate and odious debt, and legally binding principles for responsible lending.
3. Reject the “Private Finance First” Agenda
The persistent promotion of blended finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs) undermines the right to public services and deepens inequality. We advocate:
- Public investment in universal healthcare, education, water, sanitation, and clean energy, financed by fair taxation.
- Binding regulations on transnational corporations to ensure compliance with human rights and labor standards.
- An end to the “billions to trillions” model that treats development as a market opportunity.
4. Reparative Justice and Climate Finance
Historical injustices—slavery, colonialism, and ecological destruction—must be acknowledged and redressed. This includes:
- New, grant-based climate finance for Global South countries, free from debt and conditionalities.
- A commitment to phase out fossil fuels and uphold the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR).
- Climate and ecological reparations, not charity.
5. Feminist and Intersectional Development Finance
Gender justice is foundational. A feminist approach to FfD means:
- Recognizing and remunerating unpaid care work as essential to economies.
- Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health rights and universal access to education.
- Designing public services and social protections that are intersectional and inclusive of all marginalized groups.
6. Trade and Technology Justice
We reject trade rules and digital governance structures that reinforce dependency and inequality. We demand:
- A halt to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and the preservation of national policy space.
- A UN-based global technology assessment mechanism, ensuring participatory governance over frontier technologies, including AI.
- Respect for digital sovereignty, data justice, and the right of nations to regulate Big Tech.
7. Democratic Multilateralism and Civil Society Inclusion
The exclusion of civil society from the FfD4 negotiations undermines the legitimacy of outcomes. We insist on:
- Binding civil society participation mechanisms in all FfD processes.
- Strengthened civic space protections for grassroots, feminist, Indigenous, and youth movements.
- Full funding for the UN Development Cooperation Forum to take a central role in coordinating development efforts.
POLIFA’s Position: Compromiso de Sevilla Is Not Enough
The “Compromiso de Sevilla” is a compromise on justice. It fails to challenge the structural causes of inequality, debt, and climate breakdown. We call on all UN Member States to use the limited openings in the text to advance urgent, concrete, and systemic reform.
Sevilla must not be the end point. We call for a binding commitment to a Fifth Financing for Development Conference in 2030, and for an intergovernmental process under the UN to implement the mandates civil society has long demanded.
We stand in solidarity with movements across the Global South calling for transformation—not tinkering—of the global economic order.
POLIFA 