The United States has announced its withdrawal from the preparatory process for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, set to take place in Sevilla, Spain. The decision was communicated during the closing meeting of the Preparatory Committee, with a representative citing several concerns over the proposed outcome document.
In remarks addressed to the Chair and co-facilitators from Zambia, Norway, Nepal, and Mexico, it was emphasized that "our commitment to international cooperation and long-term economic development remains steadfast; however, the United States regrets that the text before us today does not offer a path to consensus." The U.S. expressed dissatisfaction with proposals they believe undermine existing efforts without reaffirming the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development or Sustainable Development Goals as standard practice.
Key objections were raised against elements of the global development financing framework which are perceived as interfering with established governance structures of international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and multilateral development banks (MDBs). The U.S. firmly opposed suggestions to triple MDB annual lending capacity or consider UN-driven capital increases for these institutions.
Regarding sovereign debt discussions, it was stated that "the proposals that envision a role for the UN in the global debt architecture are unacceptable." The U.S. advocates maintaining creditor-borrower core discussions supported by IMF and World Bank expertise without third-party interference.
Trade policy language emerging from UN forums was also deemed irrelevant to U.S. obligations or World Trade Organization agendas. Additionally, negotiations on a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation were described as inconsistent with U.S. priorities.
Financial regulation topics were another point of contention; FfD4 is seen as an unsuitable venue for such discussions. The U.S. highlighted existing standards through bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), rejecting any alternative processes outside UN mandates.
Furthermore, there was opposition to using "gender" in sex-based distinctions and preferences within multilateral frameworks. Emphasis was placed on merit-based decision-making principles instead.
The statement concluded by announcing that after careful consideration of these issues, "the United States withdraws from this preparatory process...and will not participate in FfD4 in Sevilla." This step follows attempts to work toward a concise outcome document aligned with shared ambitions rather than imposing new requirements or structures affecting Member State sovereignty.