The Queen and I are honoured to welcome you to the Royal Alcázar of Seville, and to this Courtyard of the Maidens —the Patio de las Doncellas. This setting is a magnificent example of everything the city represents: a true melting pot of origins, cultures and schools of thought, whose openness and conviviality are not just outward traits —they are a genuine way of viewing the world.
Allow me to recall here the words attributed to Averroes, the XIIth century philosopher from Al-Andalus (born in Córdoba), which are regrettably as appropriate now as they were so many centuries ago… Back then he said, “Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hatred, and hatred leads to violence. This is the equation”. I am sure you will agree that this equation, both simple and worrisome, can explain some of the conflicts of our time. It can also partly explain the erosion of the multilateral world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This Conference in Seville is of enormous value, precisely because the “equation” that makes it happen and gives it substance is quite the opposite. What brings us to Seville for the next few days, and what we expect from this conference represents a tangible source of hope for the future in the face of deeply concerning and terrifying events and trends we are witnessing in our world; and it is certainly an uplifting opposing equation that revives our battered confidence in Humanity.
Can we ascertain that not all is lost, that we have not wasted so many decades of real advancement in the construction of a more stable, peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world? We all have a say to answer, to make it possible to say YES.
With so many voices accusing the multilateral world of inefficiency and deadlock, this Conference is proof that ─even if it is not always the most direct route or the fastest— multilateralism is still the best and more durable path to peace and progress, because it includes us all, and gives everyone a voice.
At a time when it is often said that the bridges of dialogue are being torn down, this Conference is bringing together over ten thousand people from all places and origins to discuss how to modernize the development finance framework, to make it more effective, ambitious and resilient in dealing with the complex challenges of a rapidly changing world.
While so many claim that the UN system is suffering from chronic fatigue, this Conference is a reflection of the continuing importance of the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in the Agenda that the UN adopted a decade ago . That Agenda, just 5 years from its deadline, remains a yardstick for our ambition and dedication as citizens of the world.
We are in a perfect place for assembling and building consensus. Spain welcomes you as a country that believes pragmatism must never be in opposition to principles and values. We also believe that only through broad-based participation will the world truly have a chance to succeed global challenges such as hunger and extreme poverty, gender equality, climate change and many more. For all these reasons, the UN, with the values of its Charter, its agencies, its rules and its presence on the ground, is more vital than ever.
We are proud to host this Int’l Conf, following the ones held in Monterrey, Doha and Addis Ababa ; it will be a space to converse —at a critical juncture─ about global development financing and governance, fiscal systems, private funding and maximizing the impact of ODA . We eagerly await the adoption ─by consensus─ of the Seville Commitment and the launch of the SPA (Sevilla Platform for Action) . From these days forth, they will be the road map for reinvigorating the development finance framework.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
A Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, born in Seville 150 years ago, wrote “Hoy es siempre todavía” —today is forever still now— bidding us to act now, rather than later. Let us bear it in mind, as a motto, to help galvanize our will and capacity to advance in development financing, shedding light in its path forward in this tumultuous 21st century.
Let us do it here and now: in Seville, in Spain, in 2025. The eyes of many millions are on this Conference. Their hopes and needs deserve results, and they certainly do not deserve failure and deception. What better place and what better time to revive their trust and confidence?
Queen Letizia and I wish you success; we hope you enjoy your stay in Seville. Welcome to Spain and to Andalucía.