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At the 4th United Nations (UN) International Conference on Financing for Development, taking place in Seville, Spain, Latvia is calling for joint efforts to find solutions to the challenges of sustainable development – including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine initiated by Russia, global conflicts, economic disruptions, and climate change. Emphasising the contributions of Latvia and the European Union (EU) to development cooperation, Latvia reaffirms its commitment to remain a responsible and reliable partner in development cooperation going forward.
At the opening session of the conference, UN member states approved the outcome document, which expresses a joint commitment to work together to ensure adequate financing for development.
During discussions on improving the global development financing system, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Artjoms Uršuļskis, stated that Latvia supports strengthening the mobilisation of domestic resources in developing countries, including support for enhancing progressive tax systems. Artjoms Uršuļskis emphasised the importance of supporting partner countries in increasing their tax revenues without placing an excessive burden on the poorest populations and in reducing inequality. The Parliamentary Secretary noted: “Support for progressive domestic resource mobilisation in partner countries ensures greater contributions from those with the capacity to give more, while protecting the most vulnerable groups in society.”
The UN conference is attended by UN member states, international organisations and financial institutions, NGOs, and private sector representatives. The Latvian delegation is led by Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Artjoms Uršuļskis, and includes representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance. Latvia’s non-governmental organisation “Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation” (LAPAS) and its members are also participating. LAPAS is actively involved both in implementing development cooperation projects and in raising public awareness of global development issues.
Latvia promotes the achievement of the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide to ensure prosperity and security for current and future generations. Latvia also supports global efforts to implement reforms of the international financial architecture in order to meet the SDGs, provide needs-based assistance, and reduce poverty and inequality.
The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development is being held from 30 June to 3 July 2025 in Seville, Spain. The aim of the conference is to review the current global system for financing sustainable development and to ensure adequate funding for the achievement of the SDGs. This type of conference is held once every ten years, with the previous one taking place in 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.