Geopolitical and economic disruption are converging with a historic decline in official development assistance, which fell 23.1% from 2024 to 2025 with further reductions projected. Combined with budget cuts to multilateral organisations that threaten to trigger system-wide delivery failures, these forces are compounding pre-existing fragilities, and driving increases in unproductive debt, poverty and inequality. Life-saving services, growth and resilience are undermined. This session examines how these forces shape the outlook for low- and middle-income countries, how space for international co-operation has changed and asks how development co-operation can remain relevant in a fragmenting world. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

What guiding principles are needed to navigate a new era of development co-operation? Key tensions include balancing national interests with international solidarity, addressing the structures that undermine the agency of low- and middle-income countries and marginalised groups, and pursuing genuine mutual accountability. This session explores new opportunities to reshape relationships and shift narratives to better reflect the priorities of low- and middle-income countries, as well as the risks of not resolving long-standing issues within development co-operation. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

As defence pressures mount in high-income countries, and instability spreads and diversifies across low- and middle-income countries, development and security are increasingly seen as competing priorities. Development actors are having to respond to immediate crises as well as global long-term risks to areas such as health and climate. This session explores how a more contested security environment is reshaping priorities, and how to balance short-term pressures with long-term development objectives. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

Economic transformation has moved to the forefront of policy agendas across low- and middle-income countries, with renewed emphasis on industrial policy, job creation, and stronger local and regional markets. At the same time, many high-income countries are increasingly framing development co-operation in terms of mutual economic benefits. This session explores how this convergence in priorities creates opportunities to mobilise investment for productive transformation. It will also ask fundamental questions about preserving development co-operation’s role in reducing poverty, tackling inequalities and ensuring that less strategically attractive markets are not left behind. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

Development leaders and high-level decision makers will present new models of development co-operation in response to a changing global landscape. This session will explore the opportunities and risks of mutually beneficial partnerships; examine the ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ power of development co-operation; reflect on the role of solidarity; and consider the shared frameworks and standards needed to chart strategic directions for transformational change. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

This high-level panel will put forward proposals for resetting partnerships and the needed strategic and foundational shifts to ensure development co-operation delivers for the world's poorest people. Panellists will debate what it will take to move toward more equitable decision-making, meet country needs and rebalance power across the system. They will also consider how to address global inequalities, honour political and financial commitments, and align better with country-led priorities for sustainable progress and meaningful impact. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).

This session will focus on action and how the proposals from this OECD conference will inform the forthcoming OECD flagship report on the future of development co-operation (October 2026). It will also consider how proposals can feed into dialogue and decisions at upcoming international events and reform processes, including the UK Global Partnerships Conference, the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Review, Accra Reset, the 2026 G7 Leaders’ Summit, the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, as well as future G7 and G20 rounds, and UN processes. To change the language, click on the headphones icon in the video player and select your preferred audio track (English or French).