Global development cooperation is in a state of turmoil. Donor countries are rapidly pulling back on their commitments, the multilateral system is unable to change its way of doing business, and the private sector is unwilling to invest in the face of heightened geopolitical risk and uncertainty. This is happening at a time when the developing world is facing profound demographic and technological transformation, urgent need to ensure food, health and energy security, and to invest in resilience in the face of a changing climate.
While the old order is rapidly crumbling, a new one is yet to emerge. This provides an opportunity for the Global South — the erstwhile recipients of development finance — to create a new architecture of development cooperation. By setting priorities, adopting pragmatic policies and forging effective partnerships, the Global South can assert its geopolitical leverage through a combination of strategic location, growing markets, and access to critical resources, both natural and human.
Over the next two years, ORF America is undertaking a project on the Future of Global Development Cooperation to advance a Global South-led framework for the coming decades. The project will convene a high-level Global South Expert Working Group from Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Island states to put forward practical ideas and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners as they address their development needs and priorities.
