As nations prepare for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, or FfD4, in Sevilla, Spain, this month, Shari Spiegel is a central figure to watch. As director of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office at the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, or UNDESA, Spiegel has helped shape the outcome document that countries agreed to this week.
With momentum now shifting toward Spain, Spiegel spoke with Devex about what to expect from Sevilla, how key issues such as debt and climate finance are being handled, and why the absence of the United States doesn’t spell the end of multilateral ambition.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.