Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly represented President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the opening session of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025. The conference brought together King Felipe VI of Spain, over 70 heads of state and government, leaders of international financial institutions, civil society organisations, philanthropic foundations, and private sector representatives—particularly from the energy, food systems, and digital sectors. In his opening remarks, King Felipe VI underscored the urgency of honouring development financing commitments, enhancing multilateral cooperation, and enacting effective policies to support future generations. Speaking at the launch of the Seville Action Platform, Prime Minister Madbouly welcomed the initiative as a timely effort to mobilise governments, development partners, financial institutions, and the private sector to collectively assess challenges, exchange experiences, and promote innovative solutions to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Madbouly highlighted Egypt's leadership within the platform and its recognition as a successful development model, particularly through its implementation of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF)—a tool aligning reforms, investment flows, and the Egypt Vision 2030 strategy. He also pointed to the NWFE (Nexus of Water, Food and Energy) platform as a mechanism for channelling investment into bankable projects within those critical sectors. He noted that Egypt's INFF framework prioritises investment in key areas including education, healthcare, social protection, sanitation, and transport, while also addressing cross-cutting themes such as environmental sustainability and gender equality. He spotlighted Egypt's flagship social programmes—the "Takaful and Karama" cash transfer scheme and the Decent Life initiative—serving over 60 million people across more than 4,500 villages. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who also serves as President of the Conference, called for substantive reforms to international financial institutions to make them more equitable and representative. He emphasised the importance of inclusive global dialogue to tackle pressing development financing challenges. UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the disruptive effects of geopolitical tensions on development, stressing the need for innovative financing mechanisms and reforms to enhance transparency and inclusivity within global financial systems. UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang echoed these concerns, highlighting the urgency of achieving the 2030 SDGs, alleviating debt burdens on developing countries, and providing accessible financing tools. Representatives from the UN Economic and Social Council, World Bank, IMF, and WTO also called for coordinated action and strengthened support for low-income nations. On the sidelines of the conference, Prime Minister Madbouly met with Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to supporting NEPAD's development agenda and pledged to maximise the impact of Egypt's remaining tenure as AUDA-NEPAD chair. Bekele-Thomas outlined recent efforts to mobilise resources, including the creation of a dedicated development fund and the launch of a Centre of Excellence for Climate Resilience. Egypt pledged its support for the centre and reaffirmed its intent to enhance cooperation through its Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Madbouly also held talks with Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of Palestine, where he reaffirmed Egypt's steadfast support for Palestinian rights and President El-Sisi's ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire and facilitate Gaza's reconstruction. He stressed the importance of convening a comprehensive reconstruction conference once hostilities cease and confirmed continued coordination with Palestinian authorities. Madbouly expressed his deep gratitude for Egypt's historic and ongoing support, particularly in humanitarian aid and reconstruction. He noted efforts underway to organise an international peace conference in New York and praised Egypt's leadership in advocating for a just solution, including the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Prime Minister Madbouly's participation and high-level meetings reflect Egypt's active diplomatic engagement in shaping global and regional development agendas, and its continued efforts to contribute to international dialogue on sustainable financing.
