“With the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, just two months away, Africa has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewrite the rules of global finance, so they serve as a bridge to Africa’s sustainable development.” Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), made this statement in his opening remarks at a side event during the Fourth Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for FfD4 on 29 April 2025.

Co-organised by the ECA and the African Union Commission (AUC), the event aimed to review Africa’s priorities for the FfD4 scheduled for 30 June to 3 July 2025, building on outcomes from regional consultations, and to identify key actions to ensure the FfD4 agenda aligns with Africa’s development needs.

Stressing the need to strengthen domestic resource mobilization and tackling illicit financial flows, Gatete said that as long as US$89 billion escapes African economies each year, true resilience will remain out of reach. (Press release)