ODI | Think Change

Minerals like lithium, cobalt and rare earth are not just commodities. They are strategic assets which are shaping global power and the future of the energy transition.As US-China trade tensions escalate, countries across Africa (and elsewhere) where these minerals are found are now renegotiating their role in an increasingly fragmented global economy.This episode asks how Africa’s mineral wealth can truly benefit its people and future generations. Guests discuss the challenges countries face in adding value domestically, and whether there’s an opportunity to push for a more equitable, sustainable governance of the mineral supply chain.Drawing on the latest developments in the South China sea, Greenland and the new US-Ukraine minerals deal, we also hear how resource scarcity, trade, and geopolitical and economic interests are closely intertwined today against a backdrop of ongoing violence and instability.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAkim Daouda, Founder and CEO, Mwaana Inc.Rebecca Nadin, Director, Global Risks and Resilience team, ODI GlobalSilas Olan’g, Africa Energy Transition Advisor, Natural Resource Governance InstituteRelated resourcesThe critical minerals race to net zero (Event recording, ODI Global)Critical minerals, critical moment: Africa’s role in the AI revolution (Insight, ODI Global)The ‘strategic mirage’ of Africa’s green minerals wealth (Insight, ODI Global)Why China is seeking greater presence in Africa – the strategy behind its financial deals (Insight, ODI Global)

With economic uncertainty, rising debt burdens, and a growing share of the world’s poorest people living in fragile contexts, the stakes for the upcoming 4th Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) in Seville have never been higher.According to a recent OECD report, the gap between development financing needs and available resources could reach $6.4 trillion by 2030 if the global financing system isn’t significantly overhauled.The conference in June present a pivotal opportunity to ignite reform. It's a vital forum where UN members, international institutions, businesses, and civil society come together at the highest level to rethink how we fund global development.In this episode, we dissect the key questions set to shape discussions at FfD4. How can we mobilise the trillions needed to meet the SDGs? How can the global financial architecture be made more inclusive and responsive? And what bold steps must be taken to unlock investment where it’s needed most?Development finance experts share insights on multilateral development bank reform, the role of concessional finance, and opportunities to build a more sustainable, equitable future.  GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalMónica Colomer, Ambassador at Large for Financing for Development, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Spain   Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)Annalisa Prizzon, Principal Research Fellow, ODI Global  Related resourcesDevelopment finance needs major overhaul to achieve global goals (OECD report)Financing development at a crossroads: What's at stake and what reforms are needed? (Development Policy Review)ODI Global at the Spring Meetings (resources hub)Are Southern-led MDBs the future of development finance? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)MDB Insights Spring Meetings 2025 (Newsletter, ODI Global)Unlocking the potential of blended concessional finance: making aid work harder (Event video, ODI Global)Maximising operational effectiveness and impact: key priorities for multilateral development banks (Report, ODI Global)

Development finance is no longer just about aid. It’s about power, priorities, and who gets to decide.For decades, institutions like the World Bank and IMF have set the agenda, with high-income countries holding the reins. But a shift is underway. Southern-led multilateral development banks (MDBs) – where borrowing nations are also the majority shareholders – are rewriting the rules.These banks, like CAF (Development Bank of Latin America) and the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group, bring something different to the table: speed, flexibility, and a laser focus on local needs. But they also face hurdles: higher borrowing costs, limited global visibility, and the challenge of financing a just climate transition in economies still grappling with poverty.With the Spring Meetings taking place later this month, this episode dives into the rise of these institutions. Are they the future of development finance? Can they complement – or even challenge – traditional MDBs? And what reforms are needed to unlock their full potential?GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAlejandra Botero, Director of Strategy and Development, CAFChris Humphrey, Senior Research Associate, ODI GlobalAdmassu Tadesse, Group President and Managing Director, TDB GroupRelated resourcesODI Global resources on multilateral development banksSouthern-led multilateral channels for climate finance (Working paper, ODI Global)What makes an MDB an MDB? Southern-led multilateral banks and the sovereign debt crisis (Working paper, ODI Global)Climate-smart reform of multilateral development banks: priorities for the G20 (Policy brief, ODI Global)Investing for resilience: a panel discussion with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun (Event video, ODI Global)What do borrowing countries think of MDB reform? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

Trade policies are more than economic levers. Today they are instruments of influence, competition and – at times – conflict. We have seen how Trump’s recent tariff hikes on Mexico, Canada and China have heightened geopolitical tensions.The global trade system is also undergoing a deeper transformation. Countries are diversifying supply chains and rethinking alliances. Regional trade agreements are gaining momentum. Take the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is vital for strengthening Africa’s resilience. This episode takes stock of this changing global trade landscape. What direction is it heading? Are we on the brink of a new era of economic fragmentation, or can innovative trade mechanisms and agreements provide stability?GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalPamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre.Teddy Soobramanien, Chief Executive Officer, COMESA Business CouncilJodie Keane, Senior Research Fellow, ODI GlobalRelated resourcesUS implements sweeping reciprocal tariffs, igniting global economic challenges (Insight, ODI Global)Responding to Trump’s tariffs: the EU needs a new trade weapon to protect its economic security (Insight, ODI Global)Supporting Investment and Trade in Africa (Project, ODI Global)Implementing the Digital Trade Protocol of the African Continental Free Trade Area: expected impacts, early experiences and challenges ahead (Publication, ODI Global)Remaking global trade: how does the UK measure up to the Villars Framework? (Insight, ODI Global)

As the world shifts toward a more regionally driven order, where power and security are dictated by strength rather than law, multilateralism faces an existential crisis.This has been made strikingly clear by recent events in the US. Oscillating between retreat and selective engagement, the US now sees global cooperation in transactional terms – as a business not a shared responsibility.This shift has created uncertainty and left a vacuum. From Africa to Asia, nations are adapting. Some are welcoming a less interventionist US, others are seizing opportunities in a lawless landscape.This episode examines what’s at stake for multilateralism as this new global order unravels. We hear what practical steps that can be taken to strengthen and reinvent multilateralism, including through a new coalition of smaller powers. Our guests also examine the role of China, and the significance of next year’s UN Secretary-General election.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalLord Mark Malloch-Brown, Advisor, Bretton Woods at 80 initiativeAmbassador Antônio Patriota, Brazil’s Ambassador to the UKYunnan Chen, ODI Global Research FellowRelated resourcesOut of the rubble (Insight, ODI Global)Reimagining multilateralism: seizing the opportunity for change (Insight, ODI Global)Navigating fragility: the new multilateral agenda (Event video and podcast, ODI Global)What are the costs and impacts of shutting down USAID? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)ODI Global's work on China

Ukraine stands at a pivotal point as its war with Russia enters its third year. With high-stakes talks between the US and Russia taking place in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine finds itself excluded from crucial discussions, which raises alarms in Kyiv and Europe. As Western unity begins to fracture, the debate intensifies over whether to prioritise negotiations or continue military support. With NATO under increasing pressure, shifting US positions and growing concerns from Europe about future defence strategies, can Ukraine harness its resources for US support for peace talks and reconstruction, or will they further complicate its future? What will be the far-reaching implications for global security and economic stability?In this episode of Think Change, our host and Chief Executive Sara Pantualiano was joined by: Nathalie Tocci (Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali) Ann Linde (ODI Europe Board Member and former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Nordic Cooperation)  Olena Borodyna (Senior Geopolitical Risks Advisor, ODI Global)  Related resourcesNavigating humanitarian dilemmas in the Ukraine crisis (Publication, ODI Global) As the war grinds on, political risks in Ukraine are heightening (Insight, ODI Global) The systemic impacts of the war in Ukraine: a triple shock (Insight, ODI Global) A war on many fronts: disinformation around the Russia-Ukraine war (Insight, ODI Global) Think Change episode 3: will the war in Ukraine cause a food crisis? (Think Change Podcast, ODI Global) Navigating aid and national interest in Ukraine: the development toolbox of European donors (Insight, ODI Global) Supporting Ukraine is costly – but Europe should be clear on the risks of letting Russia win (Insight, ODI Global) Securing Europe's Future: financing defence, supporting Ukraine, and navigating the Russia-China challenge (Insight, ODI Global) Condemnation of Russia’s invasion isn’t enough – Ukraine needs stronger European support now (Insight, ODI Global) Economic vulnerability to the Russia–Ukraine War: which low- and middle-income countries are most vulnerable? (Publication, ODI Global) 

For decades, US foreign aid has played a vital role in humanitarian assistance, development and global security.But last month, the US government – the world’s biggest aid donor – announced a sudden 90-day freeze on foreign aid. This will have a devastating impact on communities globally who depend on it to survive. It has triggered widespread uncertainty across the global development sector.In the days following the decision, the harm was already visible. Reports show that antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients ran out, landmine clearance efforts stopped, and critical humanitarian operations were left in limbo.Although an exemption was later introduced for “life-saving humanitarian assistance”, its scope remains unclear. Many organisations are scrambling to understand the full implications of USAID's brutal shutdown.This episode examines these developments in detail. Experts formerly at USAID join us to assess what the freeze means for communities dependent on this funding and the global development sector, and what should come next.GuestsSara Pantuliano (Chief Executive, ODI Global)Elizabeth Campbell (Executive Director, ODI Global Washington and former Deputy Assistant Secretary, US State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration)Sarah Charles (Former Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID)Kate Almquist Knopf (Senior Advisor, Former Director of the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, US Department of Defense, and Former Assistant Administrator for Africa, USAID)Related resourcesOut of the rubble (Insight, ODI Global)Donors In A Post-Aid World January 2025 update (Newsletter, ODI Global)What role should donors play in a post-aid world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)Investing in frontier economies – what can public-private collaboration achieve? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

Nearly a decade ago, nations worldwide committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the first goal focused on ending poverty in all its forms by 2030. Whilst some progress has been made, we remain well off track to reach this ambitious target. Poverty reduction has stalled, whilst a new report by Oxfam – launched during the recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos – highlights how rising inequality is being driven by today’s colonial economic system. It finds billionaire wealth rose three times faster in 2024 than in 2023, and most of this is taken – not earned. What’s driving these worrying trends? Are policy-makers addressing the root causes, or are systemic issues being overlooked? And what must be done to shift the course, especially amidst rising global uncertainties that could reshape international cooperation? GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAnthony Kamande, Inequality and Policy Research Advisor, Oxfam International. Anthony was also one of the key authors of Oxfam’s annual inequality report this year.Sofía Sprechmann Sineiro, Chair, Pledge for Change on Decolonising Aid and former Secretary General, CARE InternationalKevin Watkins, Distinguished Fellow and former Executive Director, ODI Global. Kevin has long been a key voice on education, development finance, and the need for equitable public policy.Related resourcesRethinking policy for a new era of poverty (Event video, ODI Global)Takers Not Makers: The unjust poverty and unearned wealth of colonialism (Report, Oxfam International)SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)Financing the fight against poverty and hunger - mobilising resources for a sustainable development goal reset (Report, ODI Global)What does poverty really mean today? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

The term ‘fragility’ is used to describe various complex challenges including protracted conflicts, weak state capacity, and vulnerability to climate-related shocks.Development progress has been the hardest in these contexts. But the landscape is changing, with new development players emerging – notably in the private sector. Private capital is reaching frontier economies (those in low- and middle-income countries impacted by so-called fragility), fuelled by an impact investing market of more than $1 trillion.Ahead of next week’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, this episode examines who is shaping this new vision of development in frontier markets. Guests dissect the innovative approaches and collaborations needed to strengthen development efforts in areas affected by conflict and instability.Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalJake Cusack, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, CrossBoundary GroupHeike Harmgart, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Andrej Kirn, Head of International Organisations and Humanitarian Agenda, World Economic ForumSurer Mohamed, Research Fellow, Politics and Governance programme, ODI GlobalRelated resourcesHumanitarian and Resilience Investing Initiative (World Economic Forum)Mobilising European Institutional Investors into Emerging Markets and Developing Economies: three critical areas to address (Insight, ODI Global)Trillions or billions? Reassessing the potential for European institutional investment in emerging markets and developing economies (Report, ODI Global)Blended finance’s broken promise and how to fix it (Event, ODI Global)Trillions or billions? The Future of European Institutional Investment in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (Event video, ODI Global)

Fast fashion has transformed how we consume clothing. A staggering 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in US landfills alone every year. This global fashion waste crisis has far-reaching consequences for the environment, economy and local communities. Sites which often appear like dumping grounds for unused goods can transform themselves into major sources of creativity and livelihoods. One such place is Kantamanto market in Ghana, a vibrant community and trading hub where waste is reimagined into beautiful, sustainable fashion. But Kantamanto is also a site of environmental hazards. On 2 January 2025, shortly after recording this episode, the market was hit by a devastating fire that has left over 100 shops and many livelihoods in ruins. It’s the latest of several incidents, and illustrates the complex and precarious nature of daily life in Kantamanto.  This episode examines this reality in closer detail. Millions of second-hand garments are sent to Kantamanto from the West every week. Many are repaired, altered and resold by local businesses, whilst others are sent unusable, but at a cost to local traders.  Guests dissect what we can learn from Kantamanto market about how fast fashion and consumer behaviour is impacting African countries. We hear about how to create a fairer, more sustainable fashion industry, and why it’s so critical the voices and realities of communities most directly impacted by fashion’s waste problem are at the heart of solutions.  Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalMarta Foresti, Founder and CEO, LAGO & Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI GlobalEkaette (Eka) Ikpe, ODI Global Board Member & Director, African Leadership CentreYayra Agbofah, Founder and Creative Director, the RevivalRelated resourcesLAGO Collective website: https://www.lagocollective.org/The Revival website: https://www.therevival.earth/Culture and the creative economy: https://odi.org/en/topics/culture-and-the-creative-economy/ (Resources hub, ODI Global)Under the tangerine sun: the creative economy in global cities: https://odi.org/en/publications/under-the-tangerine-sun-the-creative-economy-in-global-cities/ (Insight, ODI Global)Tensions and duality in developing a circular fashion economy in Kenya: https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/17/3/577/7721557 (Paper, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society)Fashion designers as lead firms from below: creative economy, state capitalism and internationalization in Lagos and Nairobi: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/lWrXCE92zc3qnonCBCkI7tf_Q?domain=journals.sagepub.com (Paper, Sage Journals)Can art and design change the world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)Creating our collective future: what the arts and design can do for development: https://odi.org/en/insights/creating-our-collective-future-what-the-arts-and-design-can-do-for-development/ (Insight, ODI Global)