The Future of Development Cooperation Coalition Newsletter #3

April 2026

The U.S. attack on Iran and the ensuing broader conflict in the Middle East are not considered issues that pertain to development. And yet the resultant sharp shocks in fuel and fertilizer price are consequential. These types of seismic events have a profound impact on the economic prospects of low- and middle-income countries. From the oil crisis of the 1970s to the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent years, we have seen again and again that a difficult global economic tide can make the work of growing an economy and improving lives a much harder struggle. Worse, it can reverse hard-won gains overnight.

This is the grim reality. At the same, I remain resolute and even energized. Why? From debating models for growth, how innovation happens, and whether latecomer countries can still benefit from export-led growth at the recent Global Growth Summit in Rabat (thanks to Growth Teams, CGD and the Policy Center for the New South) to discussing how to reinvigorate multilateralism and cooperation and deliver on financial dignity with bold and fearless women leaders at the United Nations Senior Women Leaders Retreat (thank you Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed) I hear, see and feel that there is a remarkable, persistent optimism about the road ahead.

We are in a moment of transition. We can mourn the past, or we actively do the hard and courageous work of shaping the future we want.  Don’t get me wrong. This is difficult. But, as a wise man told me, we all need to be ready for perpetual turbulence and still get the work done.

And this work will only succeed if there is collective action.  I am even more optimistic than usual this month because the Coalition now has its full roster of two co-chairs and 10 commissioners in place. I am delighted that we are gathering soon in Washington, D.C. for our first meeting along with our fabulous co-hosts: Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi and Rob Floyd from the African Center for Economic Transformation and Rachel Glennerster and Clemence Landers from CGD. Indeed, we have an active plan for the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings. See below for some great opportunities for those in the area to join us during that week. The road ahead has no small share of challenges, but I cannot think of a better cohort with whom to travel it.

Or as French author Alphonse Karr once observed, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”

Warm regards,

Alexia

On 7^th April 2026 the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition announced the full set of commissioners who will guide our year-long effort to reimagine how development cooperation must evolve to meet today’s economic, climate, technological, and geopolitical realities. You can read the full press release here.

Arancha Gonzalez, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain and Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po.

Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President of Nigeria.

As Co-Chair Yemi Osinbajo observed, “We have assembled an extraordinary group of leaders — with the energy, practical experience, and deep expertise across finance, governance, climate, technology, and private enterprise — to rethink how the development cooperation system must evolve to deliver economic transformation at scale.”  Co-Chair Arancha González Laya added, “We will leverage knowledge across disciplines, not shy away from the toughest issues, and take a long-term view of the next two decades to forge a shared vision for a development cooperation system that is more agile, effective, efficient, legitimate, and firmly centered on country priorities.”

Head of the Coalition Secretariat, Alexia Latortue, recently spoke at the Harvard Center for International Development, well worth a watch:

Listening is an important part of the coalition’s work. Toward that end, we held our first consultation in Mexico City in early March. Our incredibly diverse group of participants included a range of voices from government, the private sector, (in all its shapes and sizes) multilateral institutions, think tanks, civil society, and other experts.

Several key themes ran throughout the sessions, including a desire to strengthen governance capacity, regional institutions, and local development ecosystems. Not surprisingly in the current environment, participants were also eager to see development cooperation better help countries respond to transitional changes and shocks while promoting normative values. There was also an emphasis on more fairness in how development finance flows are distributed, and a real thirst to advance systemic reforms that address an array of important issues including inequality, power imbalances, gender discrimination, and fragmentation.

We will be holding a series of additional consultations across regions in the months ahead, with the next one in Rabat in late April. Stay tuned.

The Coalition and its commissioners will be actively engaging in a series of events, smaller conversations, and bilateral meetings, in Washington, D.C. during the week of April 13. The public events, which are all livestreamed, include:

Wellcome Trust has a new report, From Rethinking to Reform: The Way Forward for the Global Health System, which brings together reflections and takeaways from five regional dialogues involving participants from over 114 countries about global health reform. The Economist makes the case that Africa after aid is more resilient than you might think. And from our partners: Benedict Clements and Sanjeev Gupta of CGD look at the budgetary costs of conflict in the Middle East, and ACET explores the role of vocational education and training in Africa’s economic transformation.