Bold Action Urged to Fulfill Seville’s Pledge at Doha
www.ilo.org/node/711576″ data-entity-type=”node” data-entity-uuid=”9ada5f11-83b8-4360-a4ab-3876ca52241d” data-entity-substitution=”canonical”>Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), Spain, Qatar, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) hosted a high-level special event on 1 July to advance the global social agenda.
Bringing together senior government officials, United Nations leaders, development banks and social partners, the event – From Seville to Doha: Financing Inclusive and Sustainable Social Development – set the stage for the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2), to be held in Doha from 4 to 6 November.
Moderated by International Labour Organization Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, the event opened with a clear message: the world’s financing frameworks must serve people with equity, resilience and social justice. “Let’s call this what it is: solidarity, within and between States,” said Mr Houngbo. “Inclusive multilateralism needs action.”
The event highlighted the Compromiso de Sevilla, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development outcome document, as a landmark step in repositioning social investments as essential to economic transformation. It calls for countries to increase social protection coverage by at least two percentage points per year, an evidence-based benchmark endorsed by the International Labour Organization. Director-General Houngbo announced the upcoming launch of an International Labour Organization-led global platform to monitor and support implementation of this target, reinforcing the Organization’s readiness to accompany Member States in translating commitments into results.
Spain’s Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, and Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, underscored the need for sustained political leadership to integrate social objectives into macroeconomic frameworks. Both reaffirmed their governments’ commitment to ensuring that Seville and Doha mark a continuum in rebuilding public trust and advancing social development.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua emphasized that “social spending is not a luxury, it is a productive investment.” He called for bolder efforts to align fiscal policy with social development, noting that public trust is strongest where tax and social transfer systems are equitable and effective.
In his keynote, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Bob Rae drew attention to the global crisis of confidence in institutions, arguing that building inclusive societies requires a new economic narrative – one that prioritises dignity, decent work and collective resilience over short-term returns.
The panel discussion featured contributions from the Council of Europe Development Bank, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, and the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank, alongside the International Labour Organization’s social partners. Luc Triangle of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) stressed the need to institutionalise living wages, gender-responsive social protection and the right to organize.
Roberto Suárez Santos of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) advocated for channelling private sector finance towards enterprises aligned with international labour standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Iñigo Albizuri highlighted the catalytic role of the social and solidarity economy and called for its integration into financing strategies.
The event ended with a reminder of Seville’s promise and path towards Doha, with Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and co-facilitator of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development outcome negotiations, Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, delivering the closing reflections. He emphasised that the Compromiso de Sevilla must now be matched by transformative action in Doha.
As the global community turns its attention to Doha, the International Labour Organization reaffirmed its commitment to serve as both a convener and a standard-bearer for placing social justice and decent work at the heart of delivering for people and planet.
https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/high-level-event-calls-bold-action-deliver-seville%E2%80%99s-promise-doha-summit