First Biennial Summit for a sustainable, inclusive and resilient global economy: Implementing commitments on financing the SDGs
The Biennial Summit, an initiative of the Secretary-General, is a platform designed to align multilateral efforts and the international financial system around shared goals for sustainable development.
The first convening of the Summit took place during the High-Level Week of the 80th UN General Assembly on 24 September 2025, with the following objectives:
- To facilitate a stocktake of commitments relating to financing the SDGs made in different fora—with a particular focus on the recent Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development—and discuss how to support their implementation and maximize the impact of resources.
- To elevate this agenda to the highest level, through an inclusive dialogue between leaders of multilateral institutions and Heads of State and Government, adjacent to the general debate of the UN General Assembly.
- To explore ways to strengthen collaboration between multilateral institutions for implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and enhance understanding among all Member States of the critical role of multilateral cooperation and partnerships in solving today’s most critical economic challenges.
The Summit represents one of several commitments made in the Pact of the Future to reforming the international financial architecture and ushering in a stronger, more networked, and more inclusive approach to global governance.
Key messages from the first Biennial Summit
- A $4 trillion financing gap is a central obstacle to achieving the SDGs.
- The financing gap represents more than foregone opportunity, but disinvestment with implications for millions of people – especially today’s youth.
- We are living through an era defined by shocks.
- Borrowing is critical to investing in a better, sustainable future, but is currently not working in service of development.
- The world’s commitment to multilateralism cannot be taken for granted.
- The Sevilla Commitment provides a unifying agenda of practical steps to advance financing for development.
- We must not allow delivery to fall short of commitments.
- Bringing multilateral institutions into closer alignment can enhance their impact.
- Greater inclusion is central to the project of financing for development.
- While there is much still to do, progress is being made.
A new forum for global economic governance
Following the Summit’s first convening, the Secretary-General has proposed that the Biennial Summit be institutionalized as a platform to:
- Elevate the agenda of financing sustainable development to the highest political level
- Discuss evolving and new challenges
- Take stock of progress against commitments
- Align multilateral institutions and unite global policymakers and stakeholders
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