FFD4 SIDE EVENT Data as Dialogue: Unlocking Interoperability for Financing Sustainable Development

Co-Hosts

At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), IATI will co-host a high-level side event focused on how open, interoperable data can transform the effectiveness and accountability of development finance.

Data as Dialogue: Unlocking Interoperability for Financing Sustainable Development

📅 Wednesday 2 July 2025
🕐 12:30–14:00 (CEST)
📍 Side Event Room 10, FIBES Conference Centre, Sevilla

Co-hosted by the Governments of Australia, Germany, and Nigeria, along with IATI and the Lowy Institute, this side event will spotlight the power of open, interoperable data to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and equity of development finance.

In a time of growing financial fragmentation and increasing demand for results, transparency is not just a principle—it’s a practical tool. This session will bring together global leaders to explore how data systems can be better connected, used, and scaled to meet the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals.

What to Expect:

• High-level speakers from co-hosts on the role of transparency and open data in shaping the future of development cooperation.
  
  
• Practical country experiences on publishing and using IATI data for national planning, budgeting, and reporting.
  
  
• Insights into how interoperability improves aid data available for coordination, portfolio management, and impact across diverse actors in countries and regions.

• An introduction to the Sevilla Platform for Action initiative on Bridging Data Systems for Financing for Development—a global effort by partners to reduce reporting burdens and improve data interoperability across platforms.

• A discussion on how to scale inclusive, low-burden, high-value data systems that serve the real needs of governments, donors, civil society, private sector and communities.
  
  
• A collective call to action to strengthen capacity, scale open standards, leverage digital technology and ensure data leads to tangible results and development effectiveness.

Format and Agenda (90 Minutes)

• Welcome: IATI Secretariat (5-10 min)
• Key Note Opening: Government of Australia (10–45 min)
• High-Level Panel: IATI, Governments of Nigeria, Australia, and Germany, and Lowy Institute (45–75 min)
• Open Discussion (75–85 min)
• Closing Remarks: Government of Nigeria (85–90 min)

Background

Reliable, interoperable data is a cornerstone of effective financing for sustainable development. As emphasized in the FfD4 Outcome Document, inclusive digital infrastructure and transparent data systems are essential to improving coordination, accountability, predictability, and equitable allocation of resources—particularly for the countries that need them most.

Yet today, global development finance remains siloed across incompatible formats, disconnected platforms, and misaligned reporting processes. Public and private flows alike are difficult to trace, compare, or align with national priorities—undermining efforts to mobilize and manage resources effectively. These inefficiencies are most acutely felt in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where limited visibility over external support compounds institutional and fiscal constraints.

The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) offers a concrete solution: a globally recognized open data standard and a multi-stakeholder governance model already used by over 1,700 organisations.

As a shared infrastructure that enables financial data to flow across systems and sectors—from bilateral donors to national treasuries, and from NGOs to private investors—IATI plays a vital role in creating a more connected and accountable global financing.

This side will explore how open, interoperable data platforms and standards can improve data sharing and accessibility, addressing challenges for developing countries (para 64.c Final Draft FFD4 Outcome Documet).