Global Citizen Now: Sevilla To Feature Pedro Sánchez, President Of The Government Of Spain; Ursula Von Der Leyen, President Of The European Commission; Mia Mottley, Prime Minister Of Barbados; Gaston Browne, Prime Minister Of Antigua And Barbuda; Mark Suzman, Ceo Of The Gates Foundation, And More
Hosted by actress, humanitarian, and Global Citizen Ambassador Nomzamo Mbatha, the first Global Citizen NOW summit in Spain to call for international financing reform, sustainable debt relief, increased investment in Africa and Latin America, and drive urgent action to scale up renewables across Africa, ahead of the UN’s fourth International Conference On Financing
For Development Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla is hosted by Global Citizen in Partnership with the Government of Spain.
Global Citizen, the world’s leading advocacy organization on a mission to end extreme poverty, today announced the Global Citizen NOW action summit is coming to CaixaForum Sevilla, Spain on June 29, 2025, ahead of the United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).
Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will feature a distinguished lineup, including Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain; Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Alexander De Croo, Former Prime Minister of Belgium; Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Maria Fernanda Espinosa, GWL Voices Executive Director and former President of the UN General Assembly; Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President-Designate of COP30 and Brazil’s Climate Ambassador; Binaifer Nowrojee, President, Open Society Foundations; Daouda Sembene, Founder and CEO of AfriCatalyst; Mark Suzman, CEO, Gates Foundation; Laura Thompson, ILO Assistant Director General; Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Member of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs; Prof. Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, the co-lead of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force Secretariat and Special Envoy to Europe for COP30; Duncan Ward, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TransEnergy Global, and more.
Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will be hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha, actress, humanitarian, and Global Citizen Ambassador. The participation of these world leaders reflects the urgency of the current geopolitical climate, and a collective resolve to shape transformative outcomes for development and climate finance.
Hosted in partnership with the Spanish Government, Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will gather leaders across sectors to drive ambitious action on poverty, and the climate crisis. Taking place at the CaixaForum Sevilla, the summit will serve as a strategic catalyst and global platform to shape the action coming out of FfD4 and advance an ambitious agenda for financing reform and international cooperation.
It will feature dynamic high-level panels and highlight the urgent need for investments in renewable energy across Africa, and transformative investments in development finance.
The Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla action summit will serve as a key moment in Global Citizen’s year-long Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign, in partnership with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, with policy support from the International Energy Agency.
The campaign aims to secure commitments from governments, the private sector, and multilateral banks toward tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, support the creation of 500,000 new energy jobs, and address the unmet energy needs of 600 million people who still lack access to electricity in the continent. It will culminate in a pledging conference, which will take place in November alongside the G20 summit.
“The UN’s Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is a critical opportunity that couldn’t be more timely: world leaders need to work together within the multilateral framework to reshape the global financial architecture so it works for everyone — especially the world’s most vulnerable,” said Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain.
“Spain is proud to co-host Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla to drive bold, coordinated action to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and mobilize ambitious initiatives for sustainable development.” “Our global financial system was not designed to meet today’s challenges. It must evolve to reflect the realities of a world in crisis,” said H.E. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “From unsustainable debt burdens to the escalating climate emergency, too many nations are being asked to do more with less.
The Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla summit is a vital platform to champion equitable financing, accelerate renewable energy transitions across Africa and SIDS, and advance the systemic reforms our world urgently needs.
Now is the time for cooperation and decisive action for people and planet.” “Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will showcase international cooperation at a time when the world so urgently needs it,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen.
“The future of financing global development demands radical efficiency, as we need to do more with less to deliver the impact that is needed to end extreme poverty around the world.” Previous editions of Global Citizen NOW have been held in New York City, Melbourne, and Rio de Janeiro.
Later this year, the summit series will expand its global footprint and also head to Detroit, Michigan; Belém, Brazil; and Johannesburg, South Africa. Programme details and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information please visit globalcitizen.org/now/sevilla.
About Global Citizen:
Global Citizen is the world’s leading international advocacy organisation on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW. Powered by a worldwide community of everyday activists raising their voices and taking action, the movement is amplified by campaigns and events that convene leaders in music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy and the corporate sector.
Since the movement began, $49 billion in commitments announced on Global Citizen platforms has been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives.
Established in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen’s team operates from New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Melbourne, Toronto, Johannesburg, Lagos and beyond. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and LinkedIn. Press kit Here Media Credentials Applications are now open for media outlets to attend and cover Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla on June 29.
