New strategic partnerships for development: Developing countries and the EU

Alongside our official side event, FEPS also co-hosted the conference “Financing our Future: Crafting a Progressive Vision for the Future of Financing for Development” on the occasion of the 4^th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) on 30 June 2025 at Las Setas de Sevilla.

The current global context is marked by increasing complexity, unpredictability, and volatility. Geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and overlapping global crises have exposed the vulnerabilities of existing development finance frameworks. These challenges underscore the urgent need to forge new, strategic partnerships for development financing, including through cooperation between developing countries and the European Union.

To meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) funding gap experienced by developing countries, we must rethink established paradigms, promote constructive narratives that revitalise multilateralism, and commit to pragmatic, forward-looking agendas. Support for sustainable development must no longer be seen as a residual or auxiliary policy area; it should be embraced as a core pillar of international cooperation – vital to global stability, resilience, and shared prosperity.

However, international support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is increasingly fragmented. A proliferation of actors, initiatives, and funding mechanisms – often working in silos or with overlapping mandates – has led to inefficiencies, duplication, and a lack of strategic coherence. These issues have eroded the effectiveness of sustainable development finance, resulting in unpredictable flows, fragmented programming, and limited capacity for long-term, systemic planning.

Addressing these gaps requires a shift toward greater coordination, integration, and purpose-driven action – both in financing instruments and governance approaches. In this context, the EU’s Global Gateway – a flagship initiative aiming to mobilise €300 billion by 2027 to support sustainable infrastructure, digital transformation, and climate resilience – represents a significant step forward. It holds the potential to enable long-term, rules-based partnerships and enhance strategic sectors across the Global South. In doing so, the 360-degree approach applied by the EU Global Gateway is critical to ensure a do-no-harm approach, and the establishment of an enabling environment that is anchored in the EU’s commitments to human rights and gender equality, and the principle of leaving no one behind. At the same time, securing strong local ownership and aligning Global Gateway investments with partners’ priorities and streamlined national financing platforms are key to ensuring sustainable impact.  

This side event explored how to ensure that Global Gateway and similar strategies meet the full scope of their ambition, with a specific focus on perspectives and priorities from developing countries. The session aimed to foster a candid, action-oriented dialogue between policymakers, experts, and practitioners from both the EU and developing countries.

Guiding questions

1. In a multipolar world, how should sustainable development finance strategies like the EU’s Global Gateway evolve – regarding instruments, objectives, and governance – to reflect mutual responsibilities and deliver equitable, context-sensitive outcomes?
2. What policy tools and financial instruments are needed to make Global Gateway investments more attractive and less risky for private investors in developing countries?
3. How to ensure strengthened alignment of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and others such initiatives meant at scaling up development financing with partners’ priorities and in streamlined national financing platforms?

We addressed key issues of international cooperation for improving financing for development. This side event brought together policymakers and think tankers from various cultural backgrounds. Voices from developing countries were central to the discussion, helping to shape recommendations to support the sustainable impact of the EU Global Gateway strategy.

Speakers

• Fernando Sampedro, Secretary of State of the European Union, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
• Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal and Member of the Club de Madrid
• Maria João Rodrigues, President, FEPS
• Camilla Brückner, Director, UN Brussels Office
• Udo Bullmann, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group
• Tri Purnajaya, Director for Development, Economic, and Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia
• Stefano Manservisi, Professor at Science Po/Paris School for International Affairs and former Director General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) at the European Commission
• Ana Graça, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Panama
• Oliver Röpke, President, European Economic and Social Committee
• Manuel Escudero, President, Fundación Avanza and former President, OECD Development Center

This side event was moderated by San Bilal, Director of ECDPM (European Center for Development Policy Management).

For more information regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact Christian Salm, Head of Office of the President (christian.salm@feps-europe.eu). 

🇺🇳 In Sevilla, we're kicking off the day with our official side event “New strategic partnerships for development – Developing countries and the EU”, as part of the @UN 4th International Conference on #FinancingForDevelopment #FfD4!
➡️ https://t.co/OsODgX6gRm

Speakers… pic.twitter.com/lJAzvL737i

— FEPS (@FEPS_Europe) June 30, 2025