Seville, Spain, July 1 (V7N) — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged international donors to significantly increase development aid to help restart the engines of global progress amid rising climate disruptions and escalating global conflicts.
 
Speaking on Monday at the Fourth International Conference on Development Financing in Seville, Spain, Guterres emphasized that the current geopolitical instability and worsening climate conditions are threatening to reverse decades of development gains. He called on donor countries and international financial institutions to step up their commitments and ensure sustained support for vulnerable nations.
 
“We need a rescue plan for the Sustainable Development Goals,” Guterres said. “Amid conflict, climate chaos, and deepening inequality, development finance must not be allowed to shrink. Instead, it must expand.”
 
The UN chief’s remarks come at a time when U.S.-led institutions and several Western development agencies have significantly reduced funding for global aid programs. These cutbacks are endangering critical efforts to fight poverty and climate change across developing countries, experts warn.
 
According to Guterres, reducing aid during this global crisis risks worsening humanitarian challenges and undermining trust in multilateral cooperation. He stressed that a robust, equitable, and inclusive financial architecture is essential for building resilience in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable regions.
 
The conference brought together heads of state, development banks, financial experts, and civil society representatives to discuss strategies for unlocking development financing in the face of increasing global uncertainties. Key topics included reforming the global financial system, debt sustainability, green investment, and aid effectiveness.
 
The UN has been actively campaigning for a "SDG Stimulus Plan", a proposed $500 billion annual funding framework to support low- and middle-income countries in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 
“The international financial system must evolve to meet 21st-century realities,” Guterres added. “We cannot allow millions to fall deeper into poverty and despair while the world looks away.”
 
The call by the UN Secretary-General is expected to add pressure on major economies ahead of upcoming G20 and COP summits, where development financing and climate resilience will remain central themes.
 
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