MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe has called on the international community that the time for talk is over, and that action must now follow if least developed countries (LDCs) are to catch up with global progress.
Speaking at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in the Spanish city of Seville, warned that the next five years are critical for the survival of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With rising global debt, climate shocks, and insufficient infrastructure choking progress, he said bold partnerships, strategic financing, and proper implementation are the only way out.
During a roundtable discussion on private finance, the Minister made it clear that public funds alone cannot close the widening $4 trillion annual global SDG financing gap.
“We must urgently operationalise the commitments made here. The next five years will determine whether we rescue the SDGs or fail an entire generation. We cannot afford to delay,” Haimbe said.
He called for mobilising private capital at scale, as well as reshaping financial systems, both international and domestic to make them responsive to the unique development needs of poor nations.
Haimbe also urged African governments to strengthen their own financial and capital markets to harness local savings and channel them into key growth sectors such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and technology.
By George Musonda
Kalemba July 3, 2025
