VIVAT International demonstrated its commitment to social justice and human rights by actively participating in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, Spain. The conference took place from 30 June to 3 July 2025. VIVAT was represented at the conference by Maria Lourdes Santos SSpS and Daniel LeBlanc OMI. This pivotal conference brought together global leaders and stakeholders to address critical challenges in funding sustainable development.
The conference tackled issues like the widening financing divide, unsustainable debt burdens, and the urgent need for reformed international financial institutions. VIVAT’s presence was strategic, ensuring the voices of marginalized communities were heard.
Strategic Engagement & The Sevilla Compromise
The Spanish government, as host, highlighted its feminist foreign policy and commitment to gender equality, which resonated throughout the proceedings. VIVAT’s advocacy proved particularly impactful during discussions on social protection and healthcare financing.
The outcome document, the Sevilla Compromise, secured significant provisions despite challenging political circumstances. Key achievements include:
- Care Economy Recognition: Explicit acknowledgment of unpaid care work and the need for gender-responsive budgeting.
- Social Protection Expansion: Concrete targets for increasing coverage. The International Labour Organization (ILO) called for a 2% annual increase in expenditure to reduce income inequality.
- Debt Justice: Progress toward establishing mechanisms for fairer debt restructuring.
- Climate Finance: Enhanced commitments to support the Global South’s climate adaptation efforts.
Calling for Structural Debt Reform
A powerful call for structural change was delivered on July 2, 2025, at the Multi-stakeholder Round Table 5: Realizing a Development-Oriented Sovereign Debt Architecture. Maria Lourdes Santos, VIVAT International Representative to the United Nations, presented a statement on behalf of VIVAT International and the NGO Committee on Financing for Development.
The statement framed the crisis as a dual one, noting that “Sovereign debt distress and climate collapse are not separate crises. They are two faces of the same injustice”. It highlighted that many low- and middle-income countries are forced to choose between servicing debt or investing in their people, often for loans linked to an ecological imbalance.
The Two-Part Debt Release Proposal
VIVAT International and the NGO Committee proposed Debt Release for Sustainable Human Development, calling for two interconnected actions:
- Redirect Debt Service into a Guarantee and Development Fund: This mechanism proposes that creditors renounce future payments and instead channel those resources into locally driven investments in climate adaptation, clean energy, and social inclusion. A multi-stakeholder board would govern this fund with a majority of local representatives to ensure transparency and a “real shift in power”.
- Use Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to Purchase and Cancel Debt: High-income countries were urged to deploy the $355 billion in unused SDRs to purchase and cancel distressed sovereign debt on the secondary market. This creates a multiplier effect, where every dollar used can erase up to two dollars in debt.
The statement stressed that this is about “reparation and responsibility”, calling for the ecological debt owed by high emitters to be acknowledged. It also urged private creditors to step up, arguing that debt relief is a precondition for sustainability. This is a “structural proposal aimed at correcting deep imbalances”, not temporary restructuring.
The Path Ahead
While FFD4 achieved consensus on many critical issues, challenges remain, notably the restricted political space for ambitious reforms. However, the strong participation of civil society, including VIVAT, demonstrated that grassroots voices continue to influence international policy.
VIVAT International is committed to monitoring progress and advocating for accountability as the UN system mobilizes to implement the commitments made in Sevilla. Our advocacy will continue in upcoming global forums, including COP30 in Brazil and the World Social Summit.
The Sevilla experience reinforced VIVAT’s role as a vital bridge between grassroots communities and international policy-making, ensuring that promises translate into concrete improvements for the most vulnerable people worldwide.
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