Latest news with #4thUNInternationalConferenceonFinancingforDevelopment
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Alliance Of Climate Civil Society Organisations Rally In Seville For Global Levies To Make Polluters Pay
30 June, Seville, Spain — A global coalition of civil society leaders, including Global Citizen, the Glasgow Action Team and Greenpeace International, have rallied this morning outside the FIBES Conference Center in Seville, where world leaders gather for the 4th UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Their message: No more free riders. It's time for polluters and the ultra-rich to pay their fair share. The rally centered around a bold new demand for Solidarity Levies—international taxes on fossil fuels, aviation, shipping, financial transactions, and billionaires—to fund climate resilience and equitable development in countries most affected by climate change. The action accompanies an open letter signed by more than 47 NGOs – representing 231 organisations – underscoring the broad and diverse backing for the call to Make Polluters Pay. The rally centered around a large banner declaring 'Make Polluters Pay: Solidarity Levies Now,' alongside placards and powerful street visuals, including Spanish-inspired traffic signs to highlight the responsibility of highly polluting sectors. The coalition is urging world leaders at FFD4 to adopt taxes and fines on the world's most polluting industries for fueling storms, floods, heat waves, drought and wildfires, as well as other climate related disasters. World governments are also encouraged to join the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, led by Barbados, France and Kenya, and backed by governments and institutions like the UN, IMF, and African Union. The goal: to raise much needed revenue to fight against climate change and support development and nature through international levies that reflect the responsibility of polluters and elites. 'The richest individuals and dirtiest industries are profiting while the planet burns,' said Andrew Nazdin, Director of the Glasgow Actions Team. 'Solidarity levies are not only fair — they're necessary for a liveable future.' 'We must hold oil and gas corporations to account for the enormous damage they cause,' said Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead for Greenpeace's Stop Drilling, Start Paying campaign. 'As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it's no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.' 'Right now, world leaders face a clear choice: will they do what's fair and necessary?' said Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder of Global Citizen. 'Citizens across major economies — from the U.S. to the EU to Brazil — are on board. They want action to fix the climate crisis and support the communities being hit the hardest. The ask is simple: those most responsible for the damage should help pay for the solutions. Over 55,000 global citizens have already backed this call. It's not about politics — it's about fairness, and securing a better future for all of us.' Louise Hutchins, from Make Polluters Pay Coalition said, 'If we're serious about ending the debt crisis in the Global South and halting climate breakdown, we need a global financial system that holds those driving the crisis to account - starting by making the big polluters pay. For 50 years, oil and gas giants have raked in $1 trillion a year while driving devastating climate damage. The emissions of the richest 1% is more than that of half of the world combined. Success at this summit means ending this grotesque state of affairs.' The rally follows a march of thousands across the streets of Seville on Sunday night and is part of a broader week of action at the FfD4, where campaigners are calling for debt cancellation, progressive global taxation, and a finance system that puts people and the planet first. The Vatican's advocacy arm bolstered these messages with a live mural, installed in the heart of Seville, calling for a solution to debt injustice. Campaigners are demanding urgent steps to dismantle illegitimate debt burdens, establish a UN-based framework for debt resolution, and stop the influence of powerful nations and institutions that continue to impose economic domination over the Global South.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Pushes Structural Reforms at 4th UN Development Finance Conference
Marrakech – Morocco's Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch outlined the country's structural reforms during his address at the 4th UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville. Representing King Mohammed VI at the international gathering, Akhannouch spoke about North African country's commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. 'The reforms undertaken in priority areas such as social protection, mandatory health insurance, housing, education and health reflect the kingdom's strong determination to improve citizens' living conditions,' Akhannouch stated during his intervention on Monday. The prime minister noted that recent efforts have led to a substantial expansion of the tax base and more effective measures against tax evasion. However, he acknowledged that despite these resources, financing these ambitious structural projects requires additional means. Akhannouch stressed the importance of 'engaging in constructive dialogue between traditional financial institutions and new generations of economic and social actors' to better respond to citizens' legitimate aspirations. The Moroccan delegation to the conference includes Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN Omar Hilale, and the country's Ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich. UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the conference with an urgent call to 'restart the global development engine' through accelerated investments. He flagged that two-thirds of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set under the 2030 Agenda are currently behind schedule. 'We are evolving in a world where trust is crumbling, where multilateralism is being severely tested. A world marked by economic slowdown, growing trade tensions, and a dramatic drop in international aid budgets,' Guterres said, describing the current situation as 'not simply a crisis of numbers, but a human crisis.' Guterres urged states to mobilize more domestic resources and prioritize investments in high-impact areas such as education, health, and renewable energy. Prior to the conference, Akhannouch attended a dinner hosted by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia in honor of participating heads of state and government on Sunday. Running until July 3, FFD4 aims to address the estimated $4 trillion annual deficit facing developing countries in achieving the SDGs. This figure represents $1.5 trillion more than a decade ago. The event has drawn more than 15,000 attendees, including close to 60 heads of state and government, alongside representatives from international financial institutions and civil society. The Seville summit culminated in the adoption of the 'Seville Commitment' or 'Compromiso de Seville,' an intergovernmentally negotiated outcome document that lays the foundation for a renewed global framework for financing development. The declaration advocates for better representation of Southern countries in global financial bodies, a tripling of development banks' lending capacities, and increased cooperation against tax evasion. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asserted that 'it is time to take a step forward and not only reaffirm our commitment but redouble it. We must improve debt sustainability, ensure fiscal justice, and fulfill our commitments to international cooperation.' The conference builds on the momentum of the Pact for the Future, adopted by world leaders in September 2024, where countries agreed to boost investment in the SDGs, address growing debt burdens, and accelerate reforms to the global financial architecture. As a middle-income country, Morocco aims to contribute to defining new financing approaches at the global level that can guarantee equitable and sustainable growth. Tags: Aziz AkhannouchStructural reforms
