This briefing assesses the outcomes of the 2026 UN Financing for Development Forum, examining whether it delivered meaningful progress on implementing the Sevilla commitments or reflected broader paralysis in global economic governance. It finds that the forum largely failed to advance implementation, with weak outcomes, misplaced priorities in the agenda, and growing divergence among Member States limiting progress.
Can the UN Financing for Development Forum in April deliver progress? Join us for a live discussion with participants in New York, offering first-hand insights into the political dynamics, key fault lines, and prospects for implementation.
New findings from recent UN and OECD reports
This month, the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) almost simultaneously released reports on development finance. The OECD’s data on official development assistance (ODA) for 2025 revealed a dramatic 23.1 percent decline in a single year – the largest drop the world has ever seen.
There are countless cases in which economic activities lead to human rights abuses and violations. For those affected, it’s often difficult to get justice – particularly in cases that involve translational companies. This is precisely where the current negotiations on a UN Treaty on business and human rights come in: They aim to close legal loopholes and hold companies accountable.
