The Final Declaration of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development Highlighted Egypt’s Country Platform for the “NWFE” Program as a Model for the New Generation of Country Platforms and Innovative Tools for Reforming the Global Financial Architecture

The final declaration issued by the United Nations regarding the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), held in the Spanish city of Seville, cited the country platform of the “NWFE” program as a model for the new generation of national platforms and innovative tools in the field of reforming the global financial architecture.

 

Link to the final declaration https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2025/07/ffd4-closing-press-release/

 

The final declaration clarified that the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development witnessed the launch of 130 initiatives within the “Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA),” working to implement the “Seville Pledge”, which is the first internationally agreed development financing pledge since 2015, with the aim of closing the $4 trillion gap in financing the Sustainable Development Goals, and calls for a restructuring of the global financial system in light of the escalating global debt crises and declining investments. Thus, the Seville Pledge works to stimulate large-scale investment for sustainable development, address debt and development crises, and reform the global financial architecture.

 

Among the most prominent initiatives launched under the “Seville Platform for Action” are: Spain and the World Bank leading a center for debt-for-development swaps to scale up debt-for-development swaps deals; Italy converting €230 million of African debt into development investments; and a “debt standstill clause coalition” of countries and development banks suspending debt payments during crises, and the launch of the Seville Debt Forum to share experiences and strengthen coordination in debt management, supported by the United Nations and Spain.

 

For her part, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, explained that at a time when countries are racing to establish national platforms to coordinate development efforts and climate investment, and as successive international forums and events emphasize the importance of national platforms and strategies as a tool to attract investment and capital flows , the country platform of the “NWFE” program, launched by Egypt in 2022, stands out as a pioneering model that anticipated global calls to launch a platform focused on integrating development and climate action efforts, and contributes to mobilizing climate investments in priority areas.

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation pointed out that Egypt has followed an innovative approach and governance methodology in designing and implementing the objectives of the country platform of the “NWFE” program since its launch during the COP27 Climate Conference, coordinating with various national entities, and leveraging the comparative advantages of development partners across the platform’s three pillars, water, food, and energy, enabling the country to maximize the benefits of public investment, mobilize concessional development financing, debt swap mechanisms, grants, and private investments to implement targeted projects, so the platform has succeeded in mobilizing $4 billion in concessional financing over two and a half years to implement renewable energy projects with a capacity of 4.2 gigawatts, supporting Egypt's efforts in renewable energy and green transition.

 

H.E. added that the projects currently being implemented have become an example of constructive partnerships between various relevant stakeholders, represented by coalitions of local and foreign companies, multilateral development banks, international institutions, and innovative financial mechanisms from bilateral partners such as debt swaps, for effective implementation and achieving desired outcomes, explaining that the ministry adopts a transparent approach in implementing the platform, and recently launched the second follow-up report on the platform’s performance and its role in enhancing mitigation and adaptation efforts in response to climate change.

 

Link to the second follow-up report on the NWFE Program https://moic.gov.eg/ar/news/2102

 

In this context, The Conversation, one of the most prominent international academic and media platforms focused on public policy analysis and development, published an analytical article titled "Development Finance in a Post-Aid World: The Role of National Platforms" by Richard Calland, a professor at the University of Cambridge. The article discussed the importance of national platforms as financial tools that work within a coordinated national framework aimed at directing development finance flows toward clearly defined priorities. It also highlighted the “NWFE” platform as an innovative model in coordinating development finance and directing it toward national priorities, especially in the areas of water, food, and energy.

 

Article link 🔗 https://theconversation.com/development-finance-in-a-post-aid-world-the-case-for-country-platforms-257994

 

The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Spain, was the first comprehensive UN conference on financing for development since 2015, to reshape the global development finance system in light of the challenges facing the global economy, and based on the outcomes of the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Plan, the 2008 Doha Declaration, and the 2002 Monterrey Consensus, with the participation of more than 15,000 participants and hosted 470 events.