Financing Development Through Data: A Guide to FfD4 Side Events
By Open Data Watch
06 June 2025
As the global community gathers in Sevilla for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), the role of data in shaping fair, effective, and accountable financing systems is back in the spotlight. In an era of tightening budgets, growing debt burdens, and ambitious development goals, investing in data are essential for smart decision-making and sustainable progress.
Open Data Watch has been part of the FfD4 process from the beginning—working closely with partners across governments, UN agencies, and civil society to ensure data are recognized as a fundamental enabler of development financing. Together, we’ve contributed to shaping the narrative, supporting the inclusion of data in the outcome document, and organizing sessions that bring evidence and ideas to the forefront.
As discussions unfold in Sevilla and online, here’s a roundup of data-related side events to watch:
Data-Related Side Events at FfD4
Leveraging the Nexus Between Data and Capacity Development to Supercharge Domestic Revenues in Developing Countries in the Next Decade
Monday, 30 June 2025 | 4:30–6:00 PM
Organized by: UNU-WIDER, Finland, Zambia Revenue Authority, ATAF, GPSDD
South-South Data for Development: Starting a New Chapter
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 8:30–10:00 AM
Organized by: UNCTAD, UNOSSC
Data Meets Policy – An Asset for Development-Optimized Finance
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Organized by: CCSA, UNCTAD, UNODC, IMF, Eurostat, European Commission, UNFPA, ITU
Investing in Data, Advancing Development
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Organized by: Colombia, Norway, Zambia, UNCTAD, UNODC, UNDP, PARIS21
The Role of Data and Analysis in Financing Frameworks for IDP Solutions
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Organized by: IOM
Unlocking Africa’s domestic resources for development financing amid global uncertainties
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Organized by: South African Institute of International Affairs
Register here
Data and Statistics: A Key Instrument to Guide Decision-Making
Wednesday, 2 July 2025 | 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Organized by: National Statistics Institute of Spain
Data as Dialogue: Unlocking Interoperability for Financing Sustainable Development
Wednesday, 2 July 2025 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Organized by: UNDP, Nigeria, BMZ Germany, DFAT Australia, Lowy Institute
Gender Data Investment for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future: Delivering on the Promise of FfD4 (Virtual)
Wednesday, 2 July 2025 | 2:30–4:00 PM
Organized by: UN Women and Open Data Watch
Register here
Innovative Data and Tools to Increase the Impact of Multilateral Development Banks
Thursday, 3 July 2025 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Organized by: European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank
We hope to see you at these discussions—online or in Sevilla—as we continue making the case that data must be central to financing the future we want. Stay connected with Open Data Watch for updates, insights, and post-event reflections.
