Making multilateralism great again: What we learned in Sevilla

Last week, the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) took place in Sevilla, drawing over 15,000 participants from governments, the private sector, and civil society. On the opening day, the outcome document – the Compromiso de Sevilla – was agreed, marking a significant milestone that allowed the rest of the conference to focus on what matters most: implementation.

There was a palpable sense of relief among government representatives. Reaching an agreement amid current geopolitical tensions – especially after the United States withdrew from the negotiation process late in the game – was no small feat. “Multilateralism is alive” became a catchphrase throughout the week.

Yet for civil society, the mood was more cautious. Yes, multilateralism survived – but that’s not enough. In today’s fractured world, we need more ambition, not just consensus. If we are to mobilise the scale of resources required for sustainable development, then multilateralism cannot settle for the lowest common denominator.

Governments and private actors must go beyond commitment. We need decisive action – to mobilise resources, allocate them fairly, and ensure they are spent transparently and effectively, especially for those who need them most.

While discussions were unfolding in Sevilla, the U.S. Department of State quietly published its own declaration: Making Foreign Aid Great Again. The document confirmed the dismantling of USAID and proposed sweeping reforms based on shallow, misguided assessments of decades of development work. It argued, for instance, that US aid to Sub-Saharan Africa had failed because those countries didn’t align with the US on key UN votes.

We should not underestimate the consequences of this shift. US funding and leadership have long played a vital role in tackling global challenges. Without them, efforts to advance reforms, reduce inequality, and confront the climate crisis will become even more difficult.

But this moment also highlights why the FfD process matters so much. We need a coalition of countries – and actors – willing to step up and lead. And in Sevilla, we saw signs of exactly that.

One of the most striking aspects of this year’s conference was the presence of the private sector: nearly 6,000 attendees came from businesses and financial institutions. This reflects a growing recognition that sustainable development requires partnerships.

But more engagement – and funds – also brings more risk. That’s why anti-corruption must be a cross-cutting priority. If we’re serious about financing development, we must also be serious about addressing the systemic governance failures that make development unsustainable.

Corruption can undermine development progress in three major ways:

1. Reducing available resources – through illicit financial flows, tax evasion and tax reforms, debt mismanagement, and the failure to recover stolen assets.
2. Distorting allocation – decisions on where and how to invest often reflect private interests, not public needs.
3. Compromising expenditures – in procurement and service delivery, corruption erodes quality, efficiency, and trust.

The Compromiso de Sevilla recognises these challenges and includes important commitments to address them. As part of the FfD4 process, Transparency International advocated for strong anti-corruption measures across several areas – especially those that require transnational action.

Key commitments include:

• Beneficial ownership transparency and regulation of professional service providers
  Our research has uncovered more than US$3.7 billion in corruption-linked assets from Africa stashed in wealthy countries – involving nearly 400 companies, properties, and accounts. In 80% of cases, the stolen assets were located in a different country than where the corruption took place. Professional enablers like lawyers, accountants, and real estate agents often operate across borders: in 88% of our cases, the service provider was located in a third country. That’s why global action – especially in high-income countries — is crucial. We welcome UN member states’ first significant commitment to effectively regulate professional service providers, along with important new commitments on beneficial ownership transparency. These include considering the feasibility and usefulness of a global beneficial ownership register.

• Debt transparency
  Corruption risks in sovereign lending and borrowing remain high. We welcome the commitment to create a global debt register, strengthen parliamentary oversight of debt approval and monitoring, and fully utilise the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to prevent corrupt lending and borrowing. This marks the first time that the role of corruption in public debt management has been specifically recognised in a UN agreement.

• Public procurement integrity
  Procurement accounts for some of the largest public expenditures worldwide and is especially vulnerable to corruption. We welcome commitments to strengthen procurement processes to prevent the misuse of funds and deliver services effectively.

But further efforts are still needed. Governance risks tied to lobbying, conflicts of interest, and political finance are not covered in the final document. Yet they are central to ensuring public decisions reflect the common good, not special interests.

And we cannot ignore the role of civil society. While the Compromiso touches on it lightly, civic space must be protected. Public participation and civil oversight are indispensable to any accountability system.

The real work begins now.

At Transparency International – together with our 113 national chapters – we will push for concrete follow-up to the commitments made in Sevilla. We will also leverage global platforms like the upcoming UNCAC Conference of States Parties to keep momentum alive.

As part of our commitment, we have joined the the Sevilla Initiative for Accountable Service Providers (a Sevilla Platform for Action initiative) led by UNODC, and we stand ready to support governments that are serious about reform.

Despite setbacks and growing scepticism toward multilateralism, the FfD framework continues to offer a powerful roadmap. It helps align national strategies, mobilise global resources, and build a shared vision for sustainable development.

But this vision will only become a reality if we act. Sevilla was a milestone – not a finish line. Governments must now walk the talk. Only then will citizens believe that multilateralism can deliver on the challenges we face today.