José Manuel Albares chairs the international meeting of development agencies organised by the AECID in Seville

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation , José Manuel Albares, with the meeting participants

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, chaired the event "Development agencies: translating the ambition of the Financing for Development Summit into action on the ground", organised by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The meeting served to give a new impetus to the value of global solidarity and the right to development in the Seville Conference.

Among other development agencies, the meeting was attended by the Agência Brasileira de Cooperação, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the African Union Development Agency, as well as key national and international actors in the field of cooperation.

The panel was opened by José Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. AECID Director Antón Leis García, representing the host agency and co-organiser of the event, reaffirmed Spain's active role in strengthening the international cooperation system. Last, among those present was also the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Eva Granados Galiano.

The panel explored the crucial role of these agencies in channelling international solidarity and remaining a key instrument for accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and other continental development frameworks.

The meeting brought together directors and senior officials of bilateral cooperation agencies from all regions of the world to strengthen the transformative role of development cooperation in mobilising funding and promoting global solidarity, and the effective implementation of the SDGs and continental agendas such as the African Union's Agenda 2063.

The role of agencies

During the session, representatives of the organising agencies and other high-level participants discussed the role of development agencies in translating the Conference commitments into concrete and effective action on the ground. Key issues addressed included the current challenges and opportunities for development agencies in a global context marked by uncertainty, the reduction of Official Development Assistance budgets in some donor countries, and a growing demand for effective and adaptable solutions.

Priorities for implementing the Seville outcome document were also discussed, including innovative approaches, expanded collaboration with other actors (development banks, civil society, private sector), and the need to mobilise new concessional resources. A new narrative of international cooperation, centred on the right to development, global solidarity and knowledge sharing, was also designed to revitalise the founding principles of development cooperation.

Non official translation