Raising Grassroots Voices in Global Economic Debates
From 20–24 April 2026, governments, international financial institutions, United Nations agencies, and civil society organizations gathered at UN Headquarters in New York for the Financing for Development (FfD) Forum. The annual Forum reviewed global efforts to mobilize the resources needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advance the commitments made in the Sevilla Outcome Document, adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.
Marides Santos and Daniel LeBlanc represented VIVAT International throughout the Forum. They participated in official sessions and civil society discussions, ensuring that the voices of communities affected by poverty, conflict, climate change, and economic injustice were reflected in global conversations on financing for development. Marides also delivered an oral statement on behalf of VIVAT International and helped coordinate the participation of faith-based organizations and NGOs in Forum activities, including several side events.
A Forum at a Critical Moment
The 2026 Forum took place amid growing concern that the world remains far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN officials and civil society representatives emphasized that without significant changes in global financing, progress on the 2030 Agenda will continue to lag.
The Sevilla commitments call for:
- Increased Official Development Assistance (ODA) and stronger domestic resource mobilization.
- Reforms to the international financial architecture, including debt restructuring, fair taxation, and more equitable international financial institutions.
- Financing policies that strengthen social protection, reduce inequality, and promote sustainable development.
Throughout the Forum, speakers stressed that development finance should be measured not only by economic growth, but by its impact on people, especially those experiencing poverty, displacement, conflict, and the effects of climate change.
Bringing Local Voices to Global Discussions
Ahead of the Forum, VIVAT’s New York Office prepared members through the VIVAT Global Call, highlighting the Financing for Development Forum as one of the year’s key UN processes. Participants explored how financing for development connects with several other international agendas, including:
- The Commission for Social Development and the Commission on the Status of Women, promoting social justice and gender equality.
- The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, addressing Indigenous Peoples’ rights, land, and climate justice.
- Global climate negotiations and the transition away from fossil fuels.
These discussions reinforced a central message: financing is never neutral. Financial decisions can either reinforce existing inequalities or become powerful tools for justice, inclusion, and sustainable development.
VIVAT Co-organized Two Official Side Events
As part of its engagement, VIVAT International co-organized two official side events with the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, bringing together government representatives, UN agencies, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and development practitioners.
Financial Inclusion and Agency Beyond Access
20 April 2026
This side event examined how digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and digital financial systems can expand financial inclusion while ensuring that women, older persons, small-scale farmers, and other marginalized groups are not left behind. Speakers explored how technology can support equitable access to financial services while promoting gender- and age-responsive approaches to digital transformation.
Financing People’s Health and Resilience in Conflict: Learning from the Frontlines
22 April 2026
This hybrid event explored how implementation of the Sevilla Outcome Document can mobilize climate and development finance for communities facing the combined pressures of conflict and climate vulnerability. Discussions focused on practical financing approaches that strengthen health systems, resilience, local leadership, accountability, and community-led recovery.
These side events reflected VIVAT’s commitment to connecting global policy discussions with the everyday realities of communities most affected by inequality and crisis.
VIVAT’s Voice at the Forum
On 21 April 2026, Marides Santos delivered an oral statement on behalf of VIVAT International and the NGO Committee on Financing for Development during the Forum.
Speaking on the Forum’s special focus on debt sustainability and development cooperation, she emphasized that financial decisions should be evaluated according to their impact on people and communities. The statement called for:
- Addressing the root causes of unsustainable debt through greater transparency, fair debt restructuring, and responsible lending.
- Protecting social spending and investing in climate adaptation and resilience.
- Expanding predictable, concessional financing, especially for countries facing multiple crises.
- Reforming domestic public resources through fair and progressive tax systems while tackling illicit financial flows.
- Grounding financing decisions in the lived realities of local communities.
She concluded by affirming VIVAT International’s commitment to promoting financing for development that advances human dignity, justice, and sustainability.
Watch the video here and/or read the text here.
VIVAT’s Presence at the United Nations
Throughout 2026, Marides Santos, VIVAT International’s UN Representative in New York, continued to connect international policy discussions with the realities faced by VIVAT members around the world.
In reports to the VIVAT Board of Trustees and leadership meetings, she highlighted key outcomes of the Financing for Development Forum alongside other major UN events, including the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Her updates focused on:
- The Forum’s role in reviewing progress on SDG financing and implementation of the Sevilla commitments.
- VIVAT’s participation in side events, advocacy initiatives, coalition work, and official UN discussions.
- The links between global debates on debt, tax justice, climate finance, and social protection and the experiences shared by VIVAT members across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
These contributions reflected VIVAT’s distinctive approach: grounding international advocacy in the voices and experiences of local communities.
Civil Society Looking Ahead
Following the Forum, civil society organizations met to assess the outcomes and identify priorities for future Financing for Development processes.
Among the key recommendations were:
- Greater participation of finance ministers, particularly from high-income countries.
- Stronger and more meaningful opportunities for civil society engagement during official sessions.
- A voluntary national review process to monitor countries’ implementation of Financing for Development commitments.
- An implementation dashboard to track progress on the Sevilla commitments and related pledges.
Marides Santos also shared examples of effective civil society participation from other UN processes and advocated for more accessible communication platforms to strengthen engagement, particularly for organizations from the Global South.
Financing Development with Justice
The Financing for Development Forum also featured prominently in VIVAT’s Annual Meeting and Board discussions, where participants reflected on how economic policies affect migrants, Indigenous Peoples, communities experiencing violence, and those living in poverty.
Several key messages emerged:
- Development financing must uphold human rights and avoid policies that deepen inequality through austerity or cuts to essential social services.
- Decisions on debt, taxation, and financial flows should be evaluated according to their impact on vulnerable communities.
- International financing discussions must remain closely connected to grassroots realities, with faith-based organizations such as VIVAT serving as bridges between local communities and global decision-makers.
Through its participation in the Forum, the organization continued to strengthen this bridge between local experience and international policy.
Looking Ahead
As preparations begin for the 2027 Financing for Development Forum, civil society partners continue to call for stronger implementation of the Sevilla commitments, closer cooperation between the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, and greater opportunities for people directly affected by debt, climate change, displacement, and inequality to participate in global decision-making.
VIVAT International remains committed to this work through its presence at the United Nations and the active participation of its worldwide membership. By linking grassroots realities with global policy discussions, VIVAT continues to advocate for a financial system that places human dignity, justice, and sustainable development at its center.
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