The fragmented global landscape has put pressure on official development assistance (ODA) and partnership frameworks. Security impulses and aid cuts have upturned the development game. According to projections from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), ODA allocations fell between 9 to 17 per cent in 2025 with the outlook beyond 2025 remaining highly uncertain, and likely to revert to prepandemic levels. Financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) continues to be a mammoth challenge, with the global funding gap skyrocketing to USD 4.5 trillion in 2024 and further expected to balloon to USD 6.4 trillion in 2030. Yet development partnerships are pivotal for developing countries to keep up with technological advancements in climate, health, education, and digitalisation, move closer to achieving the SDGs, and enable growth.
As development partnerships move beyond traditional donor–recipient frameworks, they are increasingly being shaped by notions of mutual benefit, co-creation, and strategic alignment. This shift reflects the changing geopolitical environment, where development cooperation is no longer insulated from concerns about economic security, supply-chain resilience, and regional influence. South-South Cooperation (SSC) and triangular development modalities are increasingly gaining traction as emerging and middle powers seek partnerships that enhance autonomy rather than dependence. This roundtable organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation explores how development cooperation today operates at the intersection of capacity building, connectivity, and geopolitics, thus raising questions about effectiveness, equity, and long-term sustainability.
Driving Questions
