The VI World Forum of Local Economic Development: a key event for accelerating the 2030 Agenda

Cities and regions are mobilising to build fairer and more sustainable economic models before 2030. World leaders will debate strategies for a just transition, financing for development and regional solutions

• 1 – 4 April 2025 in Seville | A global event with local impact
• A crucial forum in the face of the slowdown in progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• A key platform for preparing the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) to be held in Seville in June and July
• More than 2,000 global actors will debate concrete solutions for sustainable and inclusive development

As the international community enters the final stretch towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda, the world is facing a harsh reality: progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is insufficient and time is running out. Inequality continues to rise, the climate emergency is accelerating, and current growth models are failing to reduce the structural gaps between countries and regions.

In this context, the 6th World Forum on Local Economic Development (WFLED) is a key space for rethinking economic strategies from a territorial perspective, ensuring that economic and technological transitions are inclusive, sustainable and fair.

From 1 to 4 April 2025, representatives of governments, international organisations, academia and civil society will meet in Seville to define concrete solutions that will enable the SDGs to be realised in local economies and accelerate their fulfilment before the end of the decade.

The sixth edition is organised by the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), the Local Economic and Social Development Committee of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Forum of Global Associations of Regions (ORU FOGAR) and the Global Fund for the Development of Cities (FMDV).

The Forum is hosted by Seville City Council, the Provincial Council of Seville, the Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FAMP), the Regional Government of Andalusia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Government of Spain.

Local economic development at the epicentre of global change

With only five years left until the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, progress is alarmingly slow: only 17% of the targets are being adequately addressed, while almost half are showing minimal or moderate progress, and more than a third are stagnating or regressing.

In this context of climate crisis, social inequality and digital transformation, the VI World Forum on Local Economic Development (WFLED) becomes an essential space for action, providing strategies that enable a just and sustainable transition from the territories.

This event, which will bring together leaders from national and local governments, multilateral organisations, businesses, academia and civil society, is not just another event: it is a turning point for the design of policies and strategic alliances that can accelerate development from the local level with a global impact.

Furthermore, the WFLED will serve as a prelude to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which will take place in July 2025, establishing a key framework for influencing international decisions on sustainable financing.

Why is this Forum more important than ever?

• Because the solutions to climate change and the economic crisis must come from the territories
• Because financing for development is key to closing social and economic gaps
• Because we need a just transition that leaves no one behind
• Because local economic development is the basis for sustainable and inclusive growth

The VI WFLED not only offers a space for debate, but also builds solutions based on local experiences and models of success that can be replicated globally.

The Forum will bring together the main development actors and address three main lines of work that will define the agenda for the coming years.

Three priorities for a more just and sustainable world

The Forum will revolve around three major strategic debates, aligned with the most critical objectives of the 2030 Agenda:

1. A just transition: guaranteeing decent work in a changing world

The world is in the midst of economic reconfiguration, driven by three major transitions:

• The ecological transition, key to combating the climate crisis, but which raises uncertainty about employment in traditional sectors.
• The digital transition, which expands economic opportunities, but also generates exclusion for those who do not have access to technology or training.
• The demographic transition, with an ageing population and migratory movements, which challenge employment and social protection systems.

To ensure that these transitions are an opportunity and not a threat, the Forum will address strategies to protect labour rights, generate quality jobs and ensure that no one is left behind in the global economic transformation.

2. Financing for development: the great challenge for the SDGs

One of the main obstacles to achieving the 2030 Agenda is the lack of financial resources. Global crises have drained public budgets and many communities depend on ineffective or centralised financing models.

We will discuss new ways of mobilising resources, including:

• Innovative models of public banking and decentralised financing.
• Strategic alliances between the public and private sectors to boost sustainable investment.
• Financial instruments that strengthen the local economy without compromising the economic sovereignty of the territories.

Without equal access to financing, the transition to sustainable economic models will be unattainable.

3. Caring local economies: building more equitable and resilient societies

Territories play a key role in the implementation of public policies that reduce poverty, promote gender equality and ensure social cohesion. However, the lack of adequate tools prevents many communities from developing infrastructure, services and sustainable industries.

People- and welfare-centred economic models will be explored, addressing issues such as:

• The decentralisation of essential services to guarantee territorial equity.
• Strategies for a fairer care economy that values domestic and care work, key to gender equity.
• Solutions to strengthen food sovereignty, sustainable water management and climate resilience.

For the 2030 Agenda to become a reality, economic development cannot be just about growth: it must guarantee well-being and equity.

Terrains as leaders of change to transform development

Since its first edition, the World Forum on Local Economic Development has been held in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Turin (Italy), Praia (Cape Verde), Córdoba (Argentina) and Seville (Spain), consolidating its position as a global platform of reference for transforming development from the ground up.

More than an event, the WFLED is a global coalition of actors working together to strengthen territorial policies with an inclusive and sustainable approach.

With the participation of international organisations such as the United Nations, OECD, UCLG, ECLAC and the Global Social Economy Forum, this event aims to be more than a space for debate: it aims to be a roadmap for accelerating the fulfilment of the SDGs from the local to the global level.

As 2030 approaches, the Forum aims to answer the big question: How can we turn the crisis into an opportunity for a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable future?

Be part of this global conversation and be part of the change!

• Registration is open here: https://ledworldforum.org/register/
• Proposals for parallel events: https://ledworldforum.org/vi-forum/apply-for-a-side-event/
• Check the preliminary programme: https://ledworldforum.org/vi-forum/#programme
• More information: ledworldforum.org