As part of the United Nations Local2030 Coalition "Road to Seville: the Local Way" engagement strategy, on 16 April 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) held a regional consultation bringing forward insightful solutions of how local actors in Latin America are driving local financing innovation—essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and shaping the global financing agenda ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).

Three powerful case studies set the stage:

• Mexico City (presented by Julio César Fuente) on leveraging increased building potential to finance post-disaster reconstruction—rebuilding housing after the 2017 earthquake with zero cost to residents and strong community involvement.
• Cuenca, Ecuador (presented by Sandra Pacheco Fernández) on financing transformative mobility projects like its tram system and bike lanes through innovative local tax mechanisms.
• São Paulo, Brazil (presented by Tatiana Antonelli) on revitalizing its city center through urban development bonds, targeted subsidies, and strategic investment plans that align public and private resources for inclusive regeneration.

Each case showed how local governments and stakeholders are using bold, context-specific tools to meet urgent needs—and how those tools can be replicated across the region.

Key messages from the consultation's panelists:

• Fiona Littlejohn-Carrillo (CEPAL) emphasized that this consultation is part of a broader engagement strategy to elevate scalable and innovative local finance practices across Latin America and the Caribbean—ensuring they shape the outcomes of FfD4.
• Sébastien Vauzelle (Local2030 Coalition) stressed that the international financial architecture must evolve to integrate local realities—and that with 2030 fast approaching, scaling what already works is key to accelerating impact.
• Lautaro Lorenzo (Mercociudades) reminded us that local governments need financing mechanisms beyond sovereign guarantees to unlock their full development potential.
• Vanessa Pinto (Fundación Somos Ecuador) emphasized that strengthening both institutions and civil society is key to mobilizing local resources in a democratic and equitable way.
• Fabiana Goyeneche (Intendencia de Montevideo) called for true fiscal autonomy and democratic governance in local financing—and a stronger role for cities in global decision-making.
• Marisol Rojas (AOA Chile) urged to scale investments smartly, reduce bureaucracy, and foster trust-based public-public and public-private collaboration.
• Ramón Valdez (Ministry of the Economy of the Dominican Republic) highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between local needs and national financing to ensure community-prioritized projects can be effectively implemented.
• Iñigo Arbiol (Local2030 Coalition) emphasized that the Road to Seville is not just a one-off consultation—it’s about building a systematic, long-term process to connect local solutions with global financing frameworks, and ensuring those connections last well beyond 2025.
• Diego Aulestia (CEPAL) reminded that financing sustainable development is not just an economic issue—it’s social, institutional, and deeply political. Aligning local priorities with global commitments requires multi-actor coordination and long-term thinking.

Consultations like this fuel the Road to Seville movement, ensuring that local realities, capacities, and innovations drive the financing agenda toward 2025.

Watch the recap here: https://live.cepal.org/ciudades/.