Financing for Development

CAMPAIGN

Financing for Sustainable Development

Changing the ways development is done.

In collaboration with its members and partners, Forus is working to shape a different economic paradigm which respects people and planet.

In this digital space launched in 2020 you can discover the voices of communities impacted by development projects and the work of civil society organisations calling for a new system of global economic governance. With stories from across the Forus network, we explore development financing, community-led initiatives, innovative economic models, and financial frameworks. We also examine how development policies shape cooperation, civic space, human rights, the SDGs, gender equality, and climate justice.

Discover our engagement at #FFD4

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2025-07-02

Financing Change - Full Documentary

2025-07-02

Financing Change - Documentary Trailer

2025-07-04

Where's the Support for Gender Equality? Women Ask at the Global Forum

Where's the Support for Gender Equality? Women Ask at the Global Forum - PassBlue

2025-07-04

Blistering heat and empty chairs mar UN's flagship development event

Brutal heat scorched Spain this week, a blistering reminder of the climate change that is battering the world's poorest countries - stretching their finances even as government debt climbs to new heights.

2025-07-04

Civil society leaves UN development summit feeling unheard

When over 1,000 civil society representatives flocked to Seville this week for a U.N. conference on development financing their expectations were already low, but the four-day event left many frustrated and feeling their voices were stifled.

2025-07-04

La cumbre de la ONU cierra con un acuerdo descafeinado que no convence a la sociedad civil: "Es decepcionante"

2025-07-04

La retirada de EE.UU. de la ayuda internacional, un golpe para el desarrollo global: "Tiene un efecto devastador"

2025-06-20

Financing for development conference: “What we need are bold commitments”

Forus, a leading global network of national NGO platforms and regional civil society coalitions representing over 24,000 NGOs, will bring a 30+-member delegation from 20 countries to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), held in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025.

2025-06-20

EU SEE - Resources - Shedding light on critical trends in the enabling environment for civil society.

EU SEE is a consortium of international civil society organisations and network members in 86 countries. The partnership implements an Early Warning and Monitoring Mechanism to document changes and shed light on critical trends in the enabling environment for civil society.

2025-07-04

The Guardian view on Trump’s aid cuts and development: the global majority deserve justice, not charity | Editorial

Editorial: Funding is plummeting as needs grow, with the closure of USAID, the slashing of UK and European aid budgets, and the obstruction of debt reform and cancellation

2025-07-04

UK accused of hypocrisy at landmark UN foreign aid conference

Experts at the fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) say the UK cannot talk up its role in helping developing nations while cutting aid commitments

2025-06-19

Seville: fair financing for a future of hope

INDICO 2025 provides a global snapshot of countries' actions, both within and beyond their borders.

2025-06-19

Sevilla: financiación justa para un futuro de esperanza - La Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo

El informe INDICO 2025 exige financiación justa y coherente para garantizar derechos humanos y transiciones sostenibles a nivel global.

2025-06-20

Civil Society Manifesto for Global Justice - Manifesto da Sociedade Civil pela Justiça Global

2025-06-17

🌎From #FFD4 to HLPF2025: civil society steps up for global justice

📰 Welcome to the latest Forus newsletter — your gateway to the bold, collective action of our global civil society network!

2025-05-06

Standing firm in front of rising restrictions on activism

Civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world are at a breaking point. The pace and intensity of restrictions on their environment are accelerating.

2025-05-05

Rethinking power in aid and turning the system upside down

At a time when traditional aid pipelines are freezing and funding is becoming increasingly scarce, something else is happening as well: civil society around the world is reclaiming its power, reframing the narrative, and challenging models of aid. As part of the EU SEE consortium, Forus is developing a new podcast series Frozen Funds, Unfrozen Purpose. For this article, we sat down with Deborah Doane—Partner at Rights CoLab and convener of the RINGO Project—to unpack how to transform the donor landscape for justice.

2025-03-19

New Survey: US Funding Freeze Triggers Global Crisis in Human Rights and Democracy

A new survey carried out by the EU System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE) network exposes the impact of the US funding freeze on civil society organisations (CSOs) in over 50 countries. With 67% of surveyed organisations directly impacted and 40% of them losing between 25-50% of their budgets, the abrupt halt in funding is disrupting critical human rights, democracy, gender equality and health programs, leaving vulnerable communities without essential support.

2025-03-17

Reforming Global Financial Architecture: A Call for People-Centered Development

As the world faces multiple interconnected crises—ranging from growing debt burdens and declining multilateralism to the deepening climate crisis and shrinking civic space—the need for a new approach to global development finance has never been more urgent. At the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS 2025) in South Africa, I had the privilege of delivering a message from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): “True development must prioritize the dignity, rights, and well-being of communities, particularly those most affected by these crises.”

2025-02-25

Civil Society at the Finance in Common Summit Calls for Community-led, Equitable, and Human Rights-based Development

Since its first edition in 2020, civil society has been playing a critical role at FiCS in ensuring public development banks are accountable to the people they serve, and in amplifying the voices – too often ignored – of communities in the Global South who are most directly affected by development projects.

2025-06-26T22:00:00Z - 2025-06-28T22:00:00Z

FfD4 Feminist Forum & Civil Society Forum | 27–29 June 2025

Events

2025-06-29T22:00:00Z - 2025-07-02T22:00:00Z Spain

The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)

Events

2025-06-29T22:00:00Z Spain

Informal Networking Gathering around FfD4 for Civil Society Networks

Events

2025-07-01T22:00:00Z Spain

Strengthening Relations Between Public Development Banks and Civil Society to Promote People-Centred and Locally-Led Development

NNNGO - Nigeria Network of NGOs | Abong - Associaçao Brasileira de ONGs | Bond - British Overseas NGOs for Development | Pakistan Development Alliance - PDA

Events

2025-07-01T22:00:00Z Spain

Beyond GDP: Rethinking Finance for Sustainable Development

La Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo

Events

2025-07-02T22:00:00Z Spain

From Crisis to Collective Action: Ensuring Solidarity, Accountability, and Transparency in a Fragile Financial Landscape

Events

/ PUBLICATIONS

2025-02-17

A Mapping Study on Public Development Banks' Civil Society Mechanisms and Approaches

2025-02-18

Finance in Common Summit 2025 - Civil Society Declaration

2024-11-01

Engaging Public Development Banks - A toolkit for civil society organisations

2024-11-01

Engaging Public Development Banks - Study

Case Studies of the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank

2025-06-20

MOBILISING CAPITAL,MITIGATING RISK: The Role of International Financial Institutions in Advancing Climate Finance in South Asia & Southeast Asia

The successful climate action requires a comprehensive understanding of MDBs' diverse financing roles along with their climate debt burdens plus their rights-based and climate justice policy inclusion. Financial resources require direction from MDBs to achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. The institutions achieve both environmental sustainability and economic growth through their enhanced investments together with private sector capital and revolutionary financing instruments. The developing world receives technical assistance together with capacity-building programs that help them establish strong climate solutions.

ADA - Asia Development Alliance

2024-06-24

Policy Brief- The Influence of PDBs to Strengthening Financial Sector's Role in Development - NNNGO

NNNGO - Nigeria Network of NGOs

2024-06-24

Civil Society Guide- Understanding PDBs and their Operational Procedure - NNNGO

NNNGO - Nigeria Network of NGOs

2024-06-24

Mapping of National PDBs in Nigeria - NNNGO

NNNGO - Nigeria Network of NGOs

2024-06-24

Pedagogical Document PDB - CCONG

CCONG - Confederación Colombiana de ONG

2024-08-01

Public Development Banks in Brazil: Performance, Projects, and Social Engagement

Abong - Associaçao Brasileira de ONGs

2024-06-24

Brazil Spotlight report Agenda 2030 - 2023

Abong - Associaçao Brasileira de ONGs

EN- #FFD4 with Mafalda Infante, Portuguese Platform of Development NGOs

#FiCS - Financing the Future: Why Community Engagement is the Key to Sustainable Development #FiCS - Sandra Guzmán – Grupo de Financiamiento Climático para América Latina y el Caribe (GFLAC) #FiCS - Agnes Koilel – Narasha Community Development Group, Kenya #FiCS - Avec Fama Sarr, Fatou Samba & Ndeye Fatou – Sénégal #FiCS - Radhika Goyal - Accountability Counsel #FiCS - Jessica Holles - Instituto Maíra, Brazil #WeAreForus - Fingo on the future of financing for sustainable development #FiCS - Loreto Vásquez Salvador - Asamblea Ciudadana Última Esperanza #FiCS - Timothy Ngetich - Representative of the Menengai West Stakeholders Forum (Kenya) #FiCS - Oyebisi Babatunde Oluseyi of the Nigeria Network of NGOs #FiCS - Alice Mogwe - President of the International Federation for Human Rights @FidhOrg

2025-01-27

Forus members and civil society organisations at the forefront of the Finance in Common Summit 2025

Since 2020, Forus members along with several other civil society organisations part of the Informal CSO Mechanism on FiCS (CSOs@FiCS) have been playing an active role in the Finance in Common summit (FICs), bringing a critical, community-focused perspective to the table. By emphasizing human rights, transparency, and equity, civil society organisations are using the FICs process to influence the policies and practices of PDBs to ensure that people and planet take precedence over profit.

2025 CSO Declaration

Discover our advocacy work

Financing for Development

Download Forus’ study and toolkit on Engaging Public Development Banks

The reports are based on CSO engagement with African Development Bank; Asia Development Bank; and the Inter-American Development Bank. The Engaging Public Development Banks (PDBs) study and toolkit intends to assist Forus members and CSO partners to understand entry points and strategies to engage PDBs at local, national and regional/global levels. The toolkit provides information and case studies to demonstrate challenges, opportunities and lessons-learned from CSO representatives and local activists who have been at the forefront of struggles.