4 March 2026 18:59 UTC · UN Secretary-General · UN SG Press Release · Source · Email X Link

UN Secretary-General urges multilateral banks to scale financing

Key points

Urges multilateral development banks to triple lending capacity
Expand guarantees, blended finance, and provide breathing space for countries in debt distress

TL;DR

UN Secretary-General António Guterres says affordable, predictable and scaled finance is needed; he calls on multilateral development banks and the European Investment Bank to mobilize private capital, expand guarantees and blended finance, provide breathing space for indebted countries, and drive reforms under the Sevilla Commitment.

Original text

Secretary-General Statements and Messages Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the European Investment Bank Group, in Luxembourg today: I am pleased to address the European Investment Bank Group Forum. Today, crises are stacking up, and the countries under the greatest strain are paying the highest price. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are drifting further out of reach. Many developing countries face punishing interest rates, shrinking fiscal space and a financing drought. Across the world, the annual SDG financing gap is measured in trillions of dollars. This is a development emergency. We need finance that is affordable, predictable and scaled to realities on the ground. The way forward is clear. Through the Sevilla Commitment, Member States set out a practical agenda to break the debt trap, unlock investment at scale and advance reforms towards a more inclusive and representative international financial architecture. Multilateral development banks must help deliver on that promise. They must become bigger and bolder — tripling their lending capacity and using every tool to mobilize far more private capital for sustainable development. The European Investment Bank can help lead this push — by putting more capital to work, scaling guarantees and blended finance, and backing bankable, high-impact projects. That means expanding guarantees and risk-sharing to cut the cost of capital. It means ensuring countries in debt distress get breathing space to invest in their people. And it means more support for clean energy, resilient infrastructure, decent jobs, public services and social protection. Europe must also champion reforms to the international financial architecture — so its governance is fairer, more representative and better able to respond where and when crises hit. This meeting is a chance to build momentum for reform and turn investment into shared prosperity — in Europe and across the world.

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António Guterres

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Europe