00:00Good evening, Majesty, Your Highness, Your Excellents, Heads of State and Government, Vice Presidents and leaders of international and multinational organizations, authorities, ladies and gentlemen.
00:16La reina y yo somos honrados y quiero extender a ti nuestro bienvenido a la rosa Alcázar de Seville
00:29y a esta corteja de las maigas, en español, el patio de las doncellas.
00:36Y déjame decirte que no se vuelve más caliente que esto.
00:41Ahora es agradable, pero como saben, la calor hoy fue muy, muy fuerte.
00:46Este edificio es un ejemplo magnífico de todo lo que la ciudad representa.
00:52A verdadera parte de las orígenes, culturas y escuelas de pensamiento,
00:58cuya openness y convivialidad no son solo trajes de la naturaleza,
01:03son una manera de ver el mundo.
01:06Allow me recordar aquí las palabras que es attributed a Averroes,
01:11the 12th century philosopher from Al-Andalus, born in Córdoba,
01:16not too far from here,
01:19which are regrettably as appropriate now as they were so many centuries ago.
01:25Back then, he said,
01:28Ignorance leads to fear.
01:31Fear leads to hatred.
01:34And hatred leads to violence.
01:36This is the equation.
01:40End of quote.
01:42I am sure you will agree that this equation, both simple and worrisome,
01:47can explain some of the conflicts of our time.
01:50It can also partly explain the erosion of the multilateral world.
01:56Dear friends,
01:58this conference in Seville is of enormous value,
02:01precisely because the equation that makes it happen and gives it substance is quite the opposite.
02:10What brings us to Seville for the next few days and what we expect from this conference
02:15represents a tangible source of hope for the future.
02:19In the face of deeply concerning and terrifying events and trends we are witnessing in our world,
02:26and it is certainly an uplifting and opposing equation that revives our battered confidence in humanity.
02:36Can we ascertain that not all is lost?
02:40That we have not wasted so many decades of real advancement in the construction of a more stable,
02:46peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world?
02:49We all have a say to this question, to answer it,
02:54to make it possible to say yes.
03:00With so many voices accusing the multilateral world of inefficiency and deadlock,
03:06this conference is proof that even if it's not always the most direct route or the fastest,
03:12multilateralism is still the best and more durable path to peace and progress,
03:20because it includes us all and gives everyone a voice.
03:25At a time when it is often said that the bridges of dialogue are being torn down,
03:30this conference is bringing together over 10,000 people from all places and origins
03:36to discuss how to modernize the development finance framework
03:41to make it more effective, ambitious and resilient in dealing with the complex challenges
03:47of a rapidly changing world.
03:50While so many claim that the UN system is suffering from chronic fatigue,
03:55this conference is a reflection of the continuing importance of the Sustainable Development Goals
04:01as set out in the agenda that the UN adopted a decade ago.
04:06That agenda, just five years from its deadline,
04:10remains a yardstick for our ambition and dedication as citizens of the world.
04:16We are in a perfect place for assembling and building consensus.
04:20Spain welcomes you as a country that believes pragmatism must never be in opposition to principles and values.
04:29We also believe that only through broad-based participation
04:33will the world truly have a chance to succeed in global challenges
04:39such as hunger, extreme poverty, gender equality, climate change and many more.
04:44For all these reasons, the UN, with the values of its charter, its agencies, its rules and its presence on the ground,
04:53is more vital than ever.
04:56We are proud to host this international conference following the ones held in Monterey, Doha and Addis Ababa.
05:03It will be a space to converse at a critical juncture about global development, financing and governance.
05:10Fiscal systems, private funding and maximizing the impact of ODA, official development assistance.
05:19We eagerly await the adoptions by consensus of the civil commitment
05:23and the launch of the SPA, the Sevilla platform for action.
05:29From these days forth,
05:32they will be the roadmap for reinvigorating the development finance framework.
05:36Your Excellencies,
05:38Your Excellencies,
05:38Your Excellencies,
05:38Your Excellencies,
05:38Dear Friends,
05:39The Spanish poet, Antonio Machado,
05:42born here in Seville 150 years ago,
05:45wrote,
05:46Hoy es siempre todavía.
05:49Today is forever,
05:52now or still now.
05:54Bidding us to act now rather than later.
05:58Let us bear it in mind as a motto
06:00to help galvanize our will and capacity to advance in development financing,
06:05shedding light in its path forward in this tumultuous 21st century.
06:11Let us do it here and now in Seville, in Spain, in 2025.
06:16The eyes of many millions are on this conference.
06:20Their hopes and their needs deserve results.
06:23And they certainly do not deserve failure and deception.
06:27What better place and what better time to revive their trust and confidence?
06:33Queen Leticia and I wish you success.
06:37We hope you also enjoy your stay here in Seville.
