SEVILLE, 30 June 2025 - The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville which starts today is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to transform funding for a global aid system that is failing children, said Save the Children.
With time running out, world leaders need to ensure that the summit results in the urgent investments required to achieve the 17 United Nations global goals to transform our world for the better by 2030.
Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said:
“This summit in Seville is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for leaders to reimagine and reform a global financial system that is failing children and future generations.
“Every week there are new reports and new data showing that the world has become a terrifyingly dangerous place for children, who are increasingly being deprived of their rights. Since the 1990s, the number of children living under the weight of war has more than doubled to about one in six children. About 272 million children are out of school, and over 400 million children live in countries grappling with crushing debt that limits governments’ ability to fund the basics – schools, vaccines, clean water.
“It's both deeply unjust and short-sighted that at a time when climate change, war and economic instability are threatening childhoods worldwide, leaders are reneging on longstanding promises to ensure that no child is left behind and slashing the foreign aid budgets that millions of vulnerable children depend on.
“Last year, the amount of overall aid provided by major donors fell for the first time in five years, with most wealthy nations moving further away from the UN’s longstanding target to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid.
“While we welcome the adoption of the Seville Commitment by Member States last week, and the positive steps taken on key issues such as debt and tax, this commitment falls short of the transformative ambition that children need. Governments need to agree on fairer global tax systems, unlock debt relief, and invest in child-focused services, while ensuring that children’s needs and rights are at the heart of financial reform. This isn’t about charity – it’s about investing in a safer, stronger world for all of us.
“Development finance needs a spectrum of capital, from traditional philanthropy to private sector funding. Mechanisms like impact investing – such as Save the Children’s Generation Empowerment Fund – can help bridge the investment gap by leveraging private capital to work for children. International public investment in children is, however, not discretionary, and governments have a responsibility to use the maximum available resources to uphold children's rights and prioritise their needs and well-being.
“We’re calling for a new era of global financing for development. The Financing for Development Conference isn’t the start of this conversation, and it won’t be the end. World leaders have multiple opportunities to build a global financing system that puts the most vulnerable children first."
ENDS