On 1 April 2025, the Policy Dialogue on Capacity Building and Local Co-responsibility for Endogenous Development was held during the Sixth World Forum on Local Economic Development as part of the Road to Seville: the Local Way process.

Co-organized by the Local2030 Coalition, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, and Global Fund for Cities Development, the event brought together United Nations agencies, local governments, and global experts to explore how localized financing strategies can shape the future of sustainable development.

Key takeaways included:

• Mr. Haoliang Xu, Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP), emphasized that integrated national financing frameworks are crucial to aligning finance with local realities, accelerating progress through community-led solutions.

• Ms. Orria Goñi Delzangles, Lead Advisor on Public Finance, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP, highlighted that intergovernmental fiscal transfers and blended finance mechanisms must support localization—making funding more accessible and tailored for long-term, transformative investment.

• Mr. Patrick Molinoz, Member, European Committee of the Regions and Vice-President, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France, stressed the need for decentralized policy frameworks to empower regions and unlock the full potential of local and regional governments.

• Dr. Fabiana Goyeneche, Director of International Relations, City of Montevideo, Uruguay, called for local project portfolios that strengthen financial resilience while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainability standards to ensure lasting social and economic stability.

• Mr. Paulo Galvão, Youth Representative, Comissao Nacional dos ODS, Brazil, urged that consultation processes for the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) include all levels of governance—especially youth—to ensure inclusive dialogue informs financial decision-making and reflects the realities of communities on the ground.

• Mr. Sithole Mbanga, CEO, South African Local Governments Association and Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, pointed out that cross-regional exchange of financial strategies can unlock innovative approaches to funding and investment, allowing localized solutions to scale and thrive.

• Mr. Gilson Pina, Director-General of Planning, Government of Cabo Verde, stressed that national efforts are only effective when backed by local engagement and funding, enabling faster, more responsive solutions to climate, social, and infrastructure challenges shaped by those on the ground.

• Ms. Emilia Sáiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments, emphasized that efforts toward FfD4 must go beyond access to finance for local and regional governments and stakeholders—they should also focus on what gets financed, prioritizing local public services.

• Mr. Jordi Cuadras, President, Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation and the Spanish Confederation of Development Cooperation Funds (CONFOCOS), stressed that Spain has a key opportunity to champion the localization of finance agenda by holding the FfD4 Conference in Seville at a moment when the acceleration of the implementation of the SDGs is paramount.

• Ms. Isabel Belloso, Director of the International Cooperation Agency for Development of Extremadura, stressed the need to rethink not only our goals for development financing but also how we achieve them—highlighting public cooperation, science, and multi-stakeholder engagement as essential.

• Mr. Agustí Fernández de Losada, Secretary for European and Multilateral Affairs, and Development Cooperation, Government of Catalonia, affirmed that decentralization is power, and without fiscal autonomy and access to finance, local governments cannot address global challenges. Decentralized cooperation, he noted, is a strategic tool, not just resource transfer.

• Dr. Pedro Carceller, Director General for Social Inclusion and Development Cooperation, Generalitat Valenciana, emphasized the need to rethink our approach to finance—what we fund and why—calling for active citizenship and public-private cooperation, especially during moments of transition.

• Mr. Javier Cortés Fernández, Director of the Basque Cooperation Agency Elankidetza, Government of the Basque Country, reaffirmed Euskadi’s commitment to multi-level governance as a foundation for decentralized finance, with Local2030 serving as a reflection of that commitment to SDG localization.

• Mr. Sébastien Vauzelle, Head of the Secretariat, Local2030 Coalition, highlighted that the World Forum of Local Economic Development is a key milestone as part of the Road to Seville to foster the presentation of innovative solutions towards FfD4. He emphasized that the focus of Local2030's advocacy and action will be not only on uncovering the tools and solutions for development finance but also on what should be financed, laying out a blueprint for the post-FfD4 process.

• Ms. Nakita Aboya, PhD Candidate in Economics, Member of the Local2030 Coalition Steering Committee, and Youth Representative, contributed as a floor speaker highlighting how the forum reflects the growing alignment of global efforts to advance localized financing solutions through multi-stakeholder collaboration.

As we continue the journey to FfD4, this dialogue reinforced that local finance is key to achieving global goals. It’s time to scale up action, align priorities, and let local leadership lead the way.