Binacional participates in a panel with banks and other Brazilian organizations during the 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development
The defense of public investment to reduce inequalities and promote sustainable development in its various dimensions was the main theme of the debate during the side event Innovating the Culture of Financing: Perspectives from the Global South. Promoted by the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic (SGPR), the panel was part of the program of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), held this week in Seville, Spain.
Minister Márcio Macedo (SGPR) opened the event, reinforcing the Brazilian government’s commitment to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. He highlighted the importance of civil society’s participation in this process. “We are going through a complex moment, with great challenges on the world stage. But more than ever, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation to enable financing for the goals of the 2030 Agenda,” he stated.
Itaipu, represented by Coordination Director Carlos Carboni, presented its territorial action model, in partnership with municipalities, communities, and other social actors, in carrying out projects that are part of the Itaipu More than Energy program, implemented in 434 municipalities in Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul. In this territory, the company established 21 Socio-environmental Cooperation Centers, promoting a participatory management model with the community, contributing to the diagnosis and planning of actions.
Carboni also presented two calls for proposals launched by Itaipu to promote social actions, energy transition, and care for soil and water, thus contributing to poverty reduction and addressing the climate crisis. “Socio-environmental action is part of Itaipu’s institutional mission and is directly related to the company’s business. Good environmental quality and good social and economic conditions are necessary to ensure the future of hydroelectric production,” he said.
Progress
During the event, Ambassador Philip Fox, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summarized the negotiations of the Seville Commitment within FFD4 and highlighted the approval of the document despite difficulties in the international scenario. The growing debate on the debt of emerging countries (which spend more on financial services than on education and health, for example) and aspects related to gender and race are among these advances, according to him. “Is it enough? Certainly not. But it is already progress to have these aspects in the discussion. And the approval of the document is no small matter either.”
Fox also highlighted the importance of side events in the Conference program, which today are as relevant as the negotiations between countries, mainly because they give visibility to civil society’s participation in promoting sustainable development.
In this sense, the very agenda of the SGPR side event exemplifies this participation, having included representatives from the organization Geledés – Black Women’s Institute (which addressed the importance of financial empowerment for Afro-descendants); the National Campaign for Education (on various aspects of student financing); ACT Health Promotion (on tax reform instruments for health promotion); the Ibero-American Youth Organization (on the importance of including young people in the development agenda); and the organization Gestos (on financial intermediation for sustainable development). The event also featured participation from the Banco do Brasil Foundation, BNDES, and Banco da Amazônia.
