Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to take part in this important discussion, nearly one year after we convened in Sevilla to adopt the Sevilla Commitment. Its relevance is clear: the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping out of reach, and the financing gap was estimated at USD 4 trillion in 2024. Today, we are called upon to turn ambition into action. This panel, focusing on the global financing framework, is therefore both timely and necessary.
Geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty continue to weigh on the global economy. Slower growth and heightened volatility affect all countries, but particularly developing economies, which now face a more constrained and unpredictable financing environment.
Allow me to highlight a few recent trends:
Less than two weeks ago, the OECD confirmed a dramatic 23.1 per cent reduction in official development assistance in 2025, the largest annual decline on record. Only four countries exceeded the UN target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income.
At the same time, the Financing for Sustainable Development Report points to a widening financing gap, with developing countries facing annual shortfalls of several trillion dollars.
Inequality, both within and between countries, continues to grow, further
complicating progress.
Debt burdens are rising. Many countries now spend more on servicing debt than on essential services such as health and education.
Private capital flows remain volatile and insufficient, especially for those countries most in need.
And just last week, the IMF revised down its global growth forecast for 2026, citing the effects of conflict and instability, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest. Meanwhile, the multilateral trading system is under significant strain.
In such a context, we must not allow mistrust to further undermine our efforts. The Sevilla Commitment offers a path forward, with clear direction and renewed purpose. It demonstrates that collective action is not only possible, but indispensable.
So how do we move forward?
The strength of the Financing for Development agenda lies in its holistic nature. Progress in one area reinforces progress in others. Positive change can create a virtuous cycle: stronger domestic resource mobilization and better data systems can attract private investment, increase revenues, and enhance countries’ capacity to invest, trade, and manage debt sustainably.
In Sevilla, we committed to doubling our efforts on domestic resource mobilization. Norway is following through, with plans to scale up support in the years ahead. We remain a committed partner to the Addis Tax Initiative.
At the same time, tackling corruption is essential. It undermines tax systems, weakens institutions, and erodes public trust. I therefore welcome its inclusion as a cross-cutting priority in the Sevilla Commitment.
Norway remains proud to maintain a high level of official development assistance, allocating more than 1 percent. Yet the broader trend is deeply concerning. Those of us committed to international cooperation must be prepared to act, and to reform, in order to safeguard solidarity in a more uncertain world.
Excellencies,
We meet at a time of undeniable challenges, but also of shared responsibility. The gaps we face are not only financial; they are gaps in trust, cooperation, and resolve.
The Sevilla Commitment reminds us that solutions are within reach, if we choose to act together. It calls on us to uphold our promises, and to strengthen them, with urgency and determination.
Let us move forward with renewed purpose. Let us choose cooperation over division, long-term sustainability over short-term gain, and solidarity with those who need it most.
If we succeed, we will narrow the financing gap, and bring the Sustainable
Development Goals back within reach.
Thank you.