At the Fourth Preparatory Committee Session (PrepCom4) for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), CESR made a clear and urgent call: the global economic system is failing, and it must be fundamentally restructured around human rights, gender justice, and democratic governance.
Throughout the week, CESR’s Global Partnerships Lead, Mahinour ElBadrawi, led our advocacy efforts. At the side event “Advancing a Human Rights-Based Approach to Financing for Development”, she stated:
“We need deep, systemic change by reclaiming the economy for people and the planet, anchored in human rights, feminist principles, and solidarity.”
She laid out concrete alternatives, including structural reforms to shift how financial resources are mobilized and governed, with a focus on rights-aligned debt restructuring, progressive taxation, and prioritizing public over private finance.
Speaking on behalf of CESR and the FfD CSO Mechanism Feminist Workstream at the event “FfD4: The Unique Opportunity for a Meaningful Reform of the International Public Finance Architecture”, ElBadrawi critiqued the current architecture’s failure to serve the Global South. She called for democratized decision-making and a UN Convention on International Development Cooperation, along with UN-led reforms of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
One of CESR’s strategic interventions was co-organizing a Breakfast Meeting on Gender Equity in FfD4 with the Walking the Talk coalition. This high-level dialogue with Member States exposed stark divisions within the EU bloc on gender and human rights, while also revealing a growing “coalition of the willing” pushing for stronger commitments. CESR provided vital political analysis and tactical guidance to advance rights-based financing in a politically complex moment.
As part of the CSO FfD Mechanism, CESR also helped shape the collective FfD Human Rights Statement, which challenged the dominant “private finance first” model. It called for robust public investment in rights and strong safeguards to prevent harmful private sector involvement.
At the IFA-FFD Dialogue on FfD4 Priorities, ElBadrawi spoke on “Advancing a Rights-Aligned Approach to Sovereign Debt.” She stressed the urgent need for a UN-led statutory debt workout mechanism, condemning creditor-controlled processes that continue to undermine human rights and fiscal sovereignty.
Behind the scenes, CESR took part in the FfD Strategic Communications Advocacy Planning Meeting (May 3–4, 2025), contributing to a coordinated strategy to raise public awareness of the gendered and racialized impacts of debt. Together with partners, we laid the groundwork for a unified narrative that drives structural change.
CESR’s efforts were part of a broader collective push alongside the FfD CSO Mechanism and allies including ESCR-Net, GI-ESCR, DeJusticia, MENAFem, Human Rights Watch, Tax Justice Network, Club de Madrid, and Walking the Talk. Together, we are fighting for a global financial system that prioritizes dignity, equality, and sustainability.