Speech
Statement by Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) , Seville, Spain 2025
03 July 2025
Seville, Spain | 30 June – 3 July 2025
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
I greet you in peace – the noble purpose of the United Nations and the fervent wish of every woman and girl UNFPA serves.
With just five years left to fulfill our 2030 promise, this Conference may be our last, best chance to set global financing on a path that is inclusive and just, and that puts women and girls, and their rights and choices, at the heart of sustainable development.
The true test of any financial system is how well it serves people—especially those furthest behind.
That starts with investments in health, education, and human dignity.
In girls going to and staying in school.
In safe childbirth.
In decent jobs and meaningful opportunities for young people.
Far too often, social spending comes last.
That must change.
Excellencies,
The path forward begins with national leadership and ownership.
Development must be driven from within – through stronger public finance, progressive taxation, and national budgets that reflect the real needs and fundamental rights of all.
When, for example, Indonesia adopts gender-responsive budgeting, or Rwanda expands sexual and reproductive health through domestic health insurance – people benefit, and economies thrive.
The private sector, too, has a vital role to play.
From blended finance to digital health innovations, there is enormous scope for the private sector to help close gaps and bring essential services to those who need them most.
Today, population dynamics are reshaping demand for everything – jobs, housing, food, water, and care – whether it is ageing in Europe, youth bulges in Africa, or shifting labour markets across the globe.
Demographics must be at the heart of financing for development.
If we fail to plan with population data, we risk midwives without medicine, students without teachers, older people without care – and economies without workers.
Excellencies,
Investing in women and girls pays tremendous dividends.
Every dollar spent on maternal health or family planning yields over eight in benefits.
Closing gender gaps in health and employment could boost global GDP by trillions.
And empowering women entrepreneurs at the same rate as men could unlock $5-6 trillion in value.
Still, far too many governments are forced to choose between paying off debt and paying for their people.
We need fair debt relief mechanisms, better concessional financing, and public spending rules that protect social investment even in times of austerity.
This is particularly urgent in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, with large youth populations.
The demographic dividend is real – but only if we invest now in the health, education, and rights of young people.
This includes ending adolescent pregnancy, which each year denies millions of girls their education and a chance at a better future.
This is a moral imperative and economic common sense. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for instance, every dollar invested in preventing teenage pregnancy yields up to forty dollars.
Finally, safety is a prerequisite for development. Gender-based violence destroys lives, fractures communities, and erodes economic potential.
Increased investments in prevention, protection, and survivor-centered services are critical.
Excellencies,
Thirty years after the International Conference on Population and Development, let us remember its central premise – and promise: every person counts.
We at UNFPA call upon this Conference to put gender equality, universal health coverage, youth empowerment, and demographic foresight at the center of financing for development.
We urge parliaments to institutionalize gender-responsive budgeting.
We encourage the private sector to close the credit gap for women-led businesses.
And because we cannot manage what we do not measure, investing in data and national statistical systems is crucial. Every dollar invested in data yields $32 in returns – yet funding remains inadequate.
At UNFPA, we see the future through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl. Imagine her happily navigating the journey to adulthood, with anticipation and without fear. She avoids early marriage and unintended pregnancy and completes her secondary education, which means in good time, she can support herself and any children she freely decides to have.
Her future will be shaped by the choices we make today – on budgets, on partnerships, and on priorities.
Together, let’s prioritize choices that support her health, rights and dignity and turn financial commitment into real, lasting change for that 10-year-old girl and for everyone.
Thank you.
