Cooperation is key to solving a laundry list of existential risks.

The increasingly global nature of development challenges—including climate change, security, and pandemic response—is laying bare the reality that global solutions are needed, and that the traditional model of development as resources flowing from “North” to “South” is not only insufficient for meeting the challenges ahead, but also fails to reflect the reality of the changing development landscape. Instead, there is a need for a new model of cooperation, where all countries act as partners in achieving global outcomes.

In September, the Korean International Cooperation Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the 15th Seoul ODA International Conference, which brought together academics, policymakers, and civil society organisations to discuss ways to “Expand Horizons for Global Development Partnership”—this year’s conference theme. The conversation reflected on the need for greater collaboration for development—particularly with “dual” cooperation actors that both receive and provide development cooperation—to address global challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In this blog, we summarize key themes and takeaways from this year’s conference, particularly on questions around the challenges and opportunities for deepening cooperation for development. These themes are also explored in a new CGD paper on the need for a global development paradigm.

Why do we need partnerships for development?

This year’s conference occurred against a backdrop of a “perfect long storm” of intersecting crises that have put the achievement of the SDGs at risk. The dual health and economic impact of COVID-19 has not only led to an increase in extreme poverty and widening inequality, but also caused severe disruptions to global health and education. Ongoing pressures from the existential climate crisis is increasing the frequency and severity of climate-related events, which will have a disproportionate impact on poor and vulnerable communities. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia has created a refugee crisis and is contributing to global food and energy insecurity, accelerating humanitarian needs.

In response to this confluence of global development challenges, which greatly exceed the capacities or resources of any country working alone, global cooperation for development—if not more ambitious collaboration—is urgently needed to meet growing needs and get the SDGs back on track. Notably, the imperative for global cooperation for development is itself formalized as part of the SDG agenda, with SDG 17 highlighting the importance of cooperation and partnership to making progress towards our shared development vision. Partnership has also emerged as an important theme for development agencies, with a recent survey of development leaders showing that being equipped to actively engage in partnerships for development was a key priority for leaders seeking to ensure that their agencies remained fit for purpose in the years ahead. Yet despite the urgency and acknowledgement of the need for cooperation, there are some doubts about whether, and to what degree, such cooperation is materializing.