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Amid continued turbulence on the global landscape, the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition took off in full sprint. We were delighted to name our fabulous and energetic Co-Chairs, launched our website, started sharing some of the initial visions of our work, consulted with our Circle of Academic Advisors, and began to build out the coalition meetings, broad public consultations, and research that will shape our work. I am in awe of the great secretariat team, our co-hosts ACET and CGD, our funders, colleagues in our supporting countries and the spirit of partnership and ideas-sharing from so many friends and new relationships. One thing we all share: we will not be paralyzed by the noise and complexity of the moment, and we know we can shape a better tomorrow.
—Warmly, Alexia Latortue, Head of Secretariat
On January 21, former Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya and were announced as co-chairs of the coalition. Both bring a wealth of experience and insight to the role.
“For many countries, development cooperation isn’t a theoretical debate—it’s about daily realities,” said Osinbajo. “It determines whether economies can create jobs, children stay in school, and communities can rebuild after disasters. This moment demands cooperation that breaks free from a narrow assistance mindset and instead leverages the full range of partnerships needed for progress—across investment, trade, and economic transformation.”
“2025 has been a year of contraction and hard choices. But 2026 has to be about something more ambitious: a credible vision for how development cooperation can work better across the public, private, and civil society sectors for countries navigating an increasingly uncertain world,” said Ms. González. “This effort starts from a simple question: is development cooperation working in a way that puts countries—their ambition and priorities—at the center so that transformation happens at scale? If the answer is no—or not consistently—then we have a responsibility to rethink how the system works.”
You can read the full release about the co-chairs here.
Arancha González Laya is the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. She previously served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre and has held senior roles across trade, development, and multilateral cooperation. She is currently Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, where she focuses on global governance, trade, and international cooperation.
Yemi Osinbajo served as Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A lawyer and academic by training, he played a central role in Nigeria’s economic governance during a period marked by recession, recovery, and major global shocks, with a focus on inclusive growth, social investment, and economic reform. He currently works as an international statesman, academic, and advisor, engaging on issues of governance, development, and global cooperation.
The rest of the Coalition’s commissioners will be announced shortly, stay tuned!
A New Year’s Message and some thoughts from Davos
Alexia Latortue, the head of the Coalition’s Secretariat, offered her perspective on the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition and the year ahead. Well worth a watch.
And here is an interesting dialogue, “Rethinking Global Aid: The Time Is Now,” with our co-chair Arancha González Laya, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola of South Africa, CEO of the Wellcome Trust John-Arne Røttingen, and British economist and journalist Stephanie Flanders.
The Wisdom (and Courage) of Lions
“Who does your father think he is?”
“Your father spoke like he had eaten a lion.”
These are the opening lines from a recent blog on the Coalition’s work, and why revitalizing development cooperation is deeply personal to her, by Alexia Latortue.
Some of the key takeaways: development is fundamentally political, aid is a small piece of the much large puzzle of development, and there has never been a better moment for countries’ own development aspirations and trajectories to be at the center of the development equation.
Business Insider Africa
A nice profile on Coalition Co-Chair Yemi Osinbajo in Business Insider Africa which notes, “For Africa, Osinbajo’s appointment is both symbolic and strategic. As a former vice president of one of the continent’s largest economies, he brings first-hand experience of challenges facing developing countries, including debt distress, infrastructure gaps, climate vulnerability, and the limits of aid-dependent growth models.” This profile recognizes that the imperative to reimagine development cooperation is not academic or theoretical—it is tangible and important to people, communities, businesses and countries.
Nigeria perspective
The co-chairs announcement also received welcome pick-up in Nigeria, including this piece focusing on Yemi Osinbajo’s key role in a global effort: “Analysts say the coalition’s work could help influence the next phase of global development thinking, particularly for emerging economies and developing countries seeking sustainable financing models and fairer international cooperation frameworks.
As global development challenges grow more complex, Prof. Osinbajo’s new role positions him at the center of efforts to translate global dialogue into tangible progress, reinforcing calls for cooperation that delivers not just promises, but measurable improvements in people’s lives.”
Predictions for 2026
In a new article, Raj Kumar sets out bold predictions for global development in 2026. We’ve long valued Raj’s perspective, and we welcome the challenge he poses to the development community—including to us.
As he puts it: “The biggest risk is not that the old system is breaking. It had to. The biggest risk is that what replaces it lacks purpose at its core. The fight, in 2026, is to ensure that it doesn’t.”
Ensuring that purpose—through country-led, forward-looking, and investable approaches to cooperation—is central to the Coalition’s work this year.
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