King Felipe VI's Welcome Address at the UN Financing for Development Conference in Seville

Welcome to Seville

• 👑 King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia extend a warm welcome to attendees of the UN International Conference on Financing for Development (#FFD4) in Seville.
• 🏛️ The Royal Alcázar serves as a symbolic setting, representing Seville's rich history as a melting pot of cultures and ideas.

The Equation of Conflict and Peace

• 💡 The King references Averroes' 12th-century quote: "Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hatred and hatred leads to violence." This equation is presented as an explanation for contemporary conflicts and the erosion of the multilateral world.
• 🤝 Conversely, the conference in Seville represents an opposing equation, offering a tangible source of hope by fostering dialogue and collaboration.

Multilateralism as a Path Forward

• 🌍 The conference, bringing together over 10,000 people, aims to modernize the development finance framework to address complex global challenges.
• 📈 Despite criticisms of inefficiency, multilateralism is affirmed as the most durable path to peace and progress, ensuring all voices are heard.
• 🎯 The event underscores the continued importance of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, even as the deadline approaches.

Spain's Commitment to Global Challenges

• 🇪🇸 Spain believes in a pragmatic approach, where principles and values guide action, and broad-based participation is key to tackling global issues like hunger, poverty, and climate change.
• 🌐 The UN's role is deemed more vital than ever in addressing these challenges.

The Seville Commitment and Action

• 🗺️ The conference is expected to adopt the "Seville Commitment" and launch the "Seville Platform for Action" (SBA) to reinvigorate the development finance framework.
• 🚀 Inspired by Antonio Machado's words, "Hoy es siempre todavía" (Today is forever now), the call is to act decisively now to achieve results and revive trust in global development efforts.