Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

Thousands of activists marched under the scorching sun in Seville, southern Spain, on Sunday. The protest called for debt cancellation for poorer countries, climate justice, and higher taxes on the world’s richest people. The demonstration took place a day before the United Nations summit on financing development began.

The UN meeting, which runs for four days, happens only once every ten years. It aims to create a strong global plan to tackle poverty, disease, and climate change. However, hopes for major progress have dimmed. The United States has decided not to participate in the summit, and many wealthy nations have shown less willingness to increase foreign aid.

During the protest, Greenpeace activists carried a striking float showing billionaire Elon Musk as a baby holding a chainsaw while sitting on top of the Earth. Protesters carried banners with slogans such as “Make Human Rights Great Again”, “Tax justice now”, and “Make polluters pay”.

Beauty Narteh, a leader from Ghana’s Anti-Corruption Coalition, said her group was demanding a fair tax system. She added that people want dignity and fair opportunities, not just handouts. Sokhna Ndiaye from the Africa Development Interchange Network urged both public and private sectors to act with less selfishness and show greater solidarity with developing countries.

Earlier on Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke at an event organized by Global Citizen. He said that holding this summit during times of global conflict is itself a sign of hope. Sanchez confirmed Spain’s commitment to spend 0.7 percent of its GDP on development aid. He also urged other nations to match this target to help poorer countries.

Jason Braganza, executive director of AFRODAD, a pan-African advocacy group, criticized the United States, European Union, and Britain for blocking efforts to organize a UN convention on sovereign debt. He said it was shameful that these countries prioritized their own interests and those of creditors over saving lives in poorer regions.

The summit is expected to discuss debt relief, fairer global tax policies, and funding to tackle climate change. However, many campaigners remain doubtful about strong decisions emerging from the talks.