Sevilla Commitment and Subnational Finance: Taking Stock of Progress

Tuesday, April 21, 2026
3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET
Uganda House, 336 East 45 Street, New York, 10017

This event is co-hosted by the NYU Center on International Cooperation, NYU Wagner, the United Nations Development Programme and the SDG Urban Finance Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Financing for Development Office.

Join us for a side event during the 2026 Financing for Development Week Fin4Dev Dialogues.

The text of the Sevilla Commitment includes two paragraphs specifically dedicated to subnational finance:

“We will strengthen subnational finance, where appropriate, by enhancing local and regional authorities’ technical, technological and human resource capacities, improving accounting systems and reporting mechanisms, and boosting intergovernmental coordination. We will also promote the diversification of revenue and financing sources, including exploring the development of municipal bond markets as applicable, and promoting stable and transparent intergovernmental financial transfer systems and equalization mechanisms;

We will support national and local governments to prioritize and strengthen their policies, strategies and practices to implement eIective infrastructure asset management and development over the life cycle of assets and mobilize revenues as appropriate.”

What is the progress in implementation? How do the current changes in the geopolitical landscape and the overall reduction in development aid impact the Sevilla Commitment policies towards subnational finance?

The side event will bring together leading practitioners to define progress and identify key challenges to the implementation of the Sevilla Commitment to subnational finance.

Speakers

• Mr. Paul Smoke; NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and Director of the NYU Center for International Cooperation
• Mr. David Jackson; NYU Center on International Cooperation, Non-Resident Fellow
• Mr. Daniel Platz; United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Chief, Development Cooperation Forum Unit, Financing for Sustainable Development Office
• Mr. Ricardo Guerrero; United Nations Development Programme, Public Finance Expert
• Ms. Delfina Vildosola; SDG Urban Finance Commission. Program Manager
• Ms. Betty N. Wainaina; NYU Center on International Cooperation, Program Director, Multilateral Reform Program, moderator

This is an in-person only event.