President,
Norway deeply regrets the decision today by the US to call a vote on the endorsement by the General Assembly of the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.
The document has already been adopted at the highest level by our Heads of State and Government on 30th June, at a very successful conference – for which we must thank our host Spain.
Despite the vote today, the Compromiso de Sevilla sends a clear and timely message: the international community remains committed to financing the Sustainable Development Goals, and upholding multilateralism, even in times of global uncertainty.
Norway voted in favor of today’s resolution, and was proud to Co-Facilitate the outcome document for FfD4 together with colleagues from Nepal, Mexico and Zambia, with the indispensable support of UN DESA.
But it was really the input and engagement of all, the UN member states, civil society and a diverse range of stakeholders that made this happen.
We did this together and must now together turn our attention to implementation and giving our words concrete meaning – and impact.
President,
The Seville commitment provides a shared framework to catalyze investment, address debt vulnerabilities, and reform the international financial architecture.
We must use this framework to guide action, not only in this building, but in national capitals, financial institutions, and boardrooms around the world.
This is an opportunity for concrete progress, not least on:
- continuing our support to reform the development cooperation architecture, towards a more open, inclusive system based on equal partnerships.
- inclusive and effective international tax cooperation,
- supporting national tax capacity, anticorruption, public finance and statistical systems,
- continued reforms of the Multilateral Development Banks to enhance the voice of low-income countries.
- and to address debt vulnerabilities, in particular through the working group to propose guiding principles for responsible sovereign borrowing and lending.
President,
All our actions must be underpinned by gender equality and the rights of women and girls.
Not only as a matter of justice, but as a catalyst for prosperity and development in all countries.
The Compromiso de Sevilla is an important multilateral milestone.
Let us work together to deliver the means, and the momentum, to achieve the world we promised in Sevilla and again today.
Norway will do its part.
Thank you