DCF Meeting on "The Changing Context of Development: What Does It Mean for Cooperation and Global Partnership"

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Date: - Location: New York

The global partnership for development agreed at major United Nations conferences is the centrepiece of international development cooperation. However, in a changing development landscape, the global partnership itself is evolving as new players with new approaches to development cooperation and new aid modalities are making an increasingly important contribution to development.

On 9 February 2012, ECOSOC will hold a one-day meeting at New York Headquarters (Conference Room 7 North Lawn Building) on “The Changing Context of Development: What does it mean for Cooperation and Global Partnership”. The meeting is held in preparation for the 2012 UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF).  It will examine key development cooperation trends that have emerged in recent years and how they are shaping the future of development cooperation and the institutional arrangements that govern this cooperation. Presentations by panellists will be followed by an interactive discussion.

The morning panel on “New dynamics of development cooperation: challenges and opportunities” will discuss the following questions:

  • How can aid best serve as a catalyst for sustainable and pro-poor development results and MDG achievement?
  • How should aid be allocated between countries and sectors? How can the phenomenon of aid orphans be addressed?
  • How can new providers with new approaches to development cooperation be effectively engaged in promoting the development of poor countries?
  • What role should the DCF play in spurring greater impact and coherence in international development cooperation?  How should it respond to the invitation to play a role in consulting on the implementation of agreements reached in Busan?

The afternoon panel on will focus on “Gearing development cooperation towards sustainable development”

  • What are the implications of a transitioning towards a green economy for countries at different stages of development? Is this trend likely to further exacerbate divisions between donor orphans and donor darlings or can it help ameliorate the situation?
  • How can the lessons learned and principles on aid effectiveness and effective development cooperation be used in guiding development cooperation for sustainable development?
  • What role can the DCF play in rethinking the new architecture for development cooperation that is responsive to the challenges of sustainable development?

Presentations