From aid to alliances – how should development cooperation evolve?

This episode examines the evolving role of philanthropy in shaping global development cooperation at a time when official aid is under strain.According to the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), global official development assistance (ODA) hit a record $223.7 billion in 2023. But many governments are cutting back under pressure from debt, Covid recovery, and domestic priorities.At the same time, needs are exploding: climate adaptation could cost $300 billion a year by 2030, and low-income countries already spend more on debt than on health and education combined.Philanthropy is being called to step up. But what should that look like? Beyond filling gaps, can foundations help reshape systems themselves – and do so with accountability and long-term impact?Guests ask what lessons we can take from the Gates Foundation's bold decision to double its annual spending – with a plan to disburse $200 billion over 20 years before closing down. Could it spark a new model of North-South cooperation?We hear how philanthropy can complement shrinking aid flows, address structural inequalities, and respond to emerging challenges – from climate shocks to pandemics to debt crises in the Global South.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAlice Albright, Former Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge CorporationGargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy, Gates FoundationAlexia Latortue, ODI Global Board Member & Former Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development, US Treasury DepartmentRelated resourcesDonors in a Post-Aid World (Project, ODI Global)What’s next for global cooperation? (Event video, ODI Global)Can multilateralism be saved? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)The case for development in 2025: exploring new narratives for aid in the context of the EU’s new strategic agenda (Report, ODI Global)The future of aid (Resources hub, ODI Global)Climate-responsive social protection: A primer for philanthropy (Report, ODI Global)

From the suffragette movement and the fight against apartheid to today’s campaigns for climate justice and Palestine, what defines legitimate protest? And who gets to decide?This episode explores the contested politics of protest through history. We examine what happens when legal and political channels for change are blocked, and how states respond when protest challenges entrenched power.As politicians celebrate historic acts of civil disobedience while criminalising modern movements, we ask: who gets to decide what counts as legitimate protest – and how will history judge us?Helen Pankhurst CBE, Chancellor of University of Suffolk and great grand-daughter of iconic suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, discusses what we can learn from shifting attitudes to protest movements over time. We hear from Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK Sacha Deshmukh, who explains why proscribing Palestine Action sets a dangerous precedent for criminalising peaceful protest. And Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou (Director of Politics and Governance programme, ODI Global) assesses how definitions of 'protest' are shaping grassroots movements globally.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalSacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UKKathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of Politics and Governance programme, ODI GlobalHelen Pankhurst CBE, Chancellor of University of Suffolk; Convenor of Centenary Action and Advisor to CARE International

The 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) is under way at a time when the UN faces existential challenges.Established 80 years ago to safeguard peace, foster cooperation and uphold the rights and dignity of all people, today the very foundations of the UN’s mission are being tested by various global trends: intensifying geopolitical rivalries, the climate crisis, record levels of forced displacement, eroding trust in multilateralism, and a systematic disregard for international humanitarian law – as is being witnessed in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere.The UN80 initiative was meant to generate fresh ideas and commitments to revitalise the organisation for the future. But the results so far have been limited – more a patchwork of incremental reforms than the kind of bold transformation many hoped for.As world leaders gather in New York for UNGA, this episode examines the credibility crisis facing the UN, and whether it can deliver the ambitious and urgent reforms needed to respond to today's fractured global order.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalHeba Aly, Director of Article 109 (formerly known as the UN Charter Reform Coalition) & Facilitator, ODI Global's Donors in a Post-Aid World (dPAW) dialogue seriesFreddie Carver, Director, Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI GlobalNatalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the Public Engagement Platform for climate action; Co-founder of the 1 for 8 Billion; CEO of the United Nations Association-UKRelated resourcesODI Global on UNGA 80 (Resources hub, ODI Global)Overcoming the obstacles to UN reform (Op-ed, Project Syndicate)Donors in a Post-Aid World (Project, ODI Global)What role should donors play in a post-aid world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)The future of global humanitarian action (Event video, ODI Global)What’s next for global cooperation? (Event video, ODI Global)

The soaring cost of capital for many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, is one of the most urgent and overlooked development challenges.High borrowing costs are hindering vital investments in energy, infrastructure, food security and public services – threatening development progress and deepening global inequality.But this decisive year for Africa could present opportunities for reform. South Africa is hosting the G20 Presidency – a first for an African country – whilst the next African Development Fund replenishment is due in November.In this critical moment, guests examine what it would take to make development finance fairer, more affordable and aligned with African countries' priorities. We hear about the political choices and practical mechanisms that could create a system that is more effective and better equipped to respond to today's challenges.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalValerie Dabady, Manager, Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Department, African Development Bank Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Bright Simons, Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI GlobalRelated resourcesInvestor Herding and Spillovers in African Debt Markets (Report, American Economic Association)Tackling the 'cost of capital' crisis in small vulnerable nations (Policy Brief, ODI Global)How can development financing be reformed? The road to Seville (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)On borrowed time? The sovereign debt crisis in the Global South (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

Despite fractured politics in the US (and elsewhere) around foreign aid, Congress recently reauthorised plans to fund PEPFAR – the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – even though the programme itself has not been formally reauthorised.Since being established in 2003, PEPFAR funding for prevention, care and treatment programmes is estimated to have saved over 26 million lives. It's one of the most successful global health initiatives, and against all odds it remains a symbol of bipartisan cooperation.But this moment raises bigger questions about what comes next. How sustainable is a model that depends so heavily on political will in the Global North? How can countries in the Global South set their own agendas? And how will increasingly polarised US politics shape PEPFAR's future, especially on issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights?Guests dissect these questions and examine how PEPFAR and the wider global health architecture must evolve to meet today’s urgent challenges.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief ExecutiveElizabeth Campbell, Executive Director, ODI Global WashingtonDoris Macharia, President, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS FoundationFionnuala Murphy, Head of Global Advocacy, Frontline AIDSRelated resourcesPEPFAR Latest Global Results & Projections Factsheet (Dec. 2024) (US Department of State)Frontline AIDS welcomes the news that PEPFAR will be spared from US cuts to aid (Frontline AIDS statement)How do US policy changes target transgender rights and undermine democracy? (Insight, ODI Global)

The humanitarian system and its principles are being destroyed. Over 1,000 people have been killed seeking aid in the past weeks in Gaza, caught between famine and bullets. With humanitarian actors systematically prevented from reaching people affected by crisis in many contexts, governments are turning to the private sector – security firms, consultants, and ex-military operatives.From Gaza to Sudan to Myanmar, this shift raises urgent questions. Is a privatised model of humanitarianism going to become dominant? What would it mean for humanitarian operations and principles? And how can it be proactively addressed?This episode examines what’s driving governments to outsource aid, and what this means for trust, principles, and the future of humanitarian response. Joshua Craze shares insights from his recent investigation into the operations of for-profit US company Fogbow in South Sudan. We hear how these dynamics play out on the ground in the West Bank from Oxfam’s Bushra Khalidi, and ODI Global’s Dustin Barter unpacks the wider implications for the international aid system.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalDustin Barter, Senior Research Fellow, ODI GlobalJoshua Craze, writer and researcher on South SudanBushra Khalidi, Policy Lead at Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesRelated resourcesFogbow operations in South Sudan and beyond raise red flags for faltering aid system (The New Humanitarian)Beyond the reset: Five priorities for genuine humanitarian transformation (The New Humanitarian)Stop the siege, stop the starvation – political gestures won't save Gaza (Insight, ODI Global)What does the failure of humanitarianism in Gaza mean? (Insight, ODI Global)The politics of hunger – can famine in Gaza and Sudan be stopped? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)The future of aid (Resources hub, ODI Global)

This episode examines a challenge at the heart of development finance. Much energy is focused on mobilising more capital in low-income countries and emerging economies, but funding alone isn't enough. A deeper issue persists: there simply aren’t enough bankable projects – ventures that are ready to absorb investments at scale.Traditionally, development finance has been demand-led – waiting for the right opportunities to emerge. But this model is evolving. Some development institutions (DFIs) are now looking to actively help create the very markets we want to invest in.Our recent report explores this shift, highlighting how institutions like British International Investment (BII) and Norfund are stepping in to initiate entirely new commercial ventures in challenging markets. These aim to generate critical investments in sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.So what does it take to build truly investable opportunities from the ground up? Experts discuss how to create sustainable, locally owned ventures that can deliver lasting development impact.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalPaddy Carter, Director of Development Economics, British International InvestmentFrederique Dahan, Director, Development and Public Finance team, ODI GlobalShaun Githuku, Director, Gridworks Development Partners LLPNoah Law, Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay & Member of the International Development Committee, UK ParliamentRelated resourcesDFI sponsorship of new platforms and ventures: why and how? (Report, ODI Global)DFI sponsorship of new platforms and ventures: why and how? (Video of report launch event, ODI Global)Risk, return and impact (Report, British International Investment)Gridworks Development Partners LLP (British international Investment)MedAccess (British International Investment)

Climate disasters are intensifying globally, with vulnerable nations facing disproportionate impacts despite minimal contributions to global emissions. From prolonged droughts in East Africa to intensifying cyclones in the Pacific, these events reveal a troubling paradox: As the Expert Review on Debt, Nature and Climate demonstrates, countries must borrow to recover from disasters, yet face financial systems that: Penalise them for climate risks they didn't create Exacerbate vulnerabilities through rising sovereign defaults Fail to support long-term resilience investments This episode examines three critical dimensions: Systemic reforms needed to align debt frameworks with climate reality Distributional challenges preventing finance from reaching frontline communities Innovative proposals to achieve climate justice through financial transformation Guests Moritz Kraemer, Chief Economist, LBBW; Co-Chair, Expert Review on Debt, Nature and Climate Yussuf Hussein, Climate Finance Advisor, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Sarah Colenbrander, Director, Climate and Sustainability Programme, ODI Global  Resources: Tackling the Vicious Circle: The Interim Report of the Expert Review on Debt, Nature and Climate Healthy Debt on a Healthy Planet: Towards a virtuous circle of sovereign debt, nature and climate resilience Indebted: how to support countries heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues to secure long-term prosperity 

Climate impacts are continuing to intensify. More severe storms, droughts, floods and heatwaves are inflicting devastation on the most vulnerable communities – those who also bear the least responsibility for the climate crisis.But as the need for climate action becomes ever more urgent, international aid is retreating. USAID has been dismantled, whilst wealthy countries across Europe have slashed their aid budgets.This episode asks what the aid cuts mean for the most climate-vulnerable countries. With fiscal space tightening and multilateralism on the decline, guests discuss how governments and international organisations can incentivise more private sector investment, scale up climate finance and channel it to where it’s most needed. We also hear what impact regional partnerships could have in delivering meaningful climate action in this new global landscape.GuestsSara Pantuliano (Chief Executive, ODI Global)Hans Peter Lankes (Deputy Chief Executive, ODI Global)Sara Schonhardt (international climate reporter, Politico)Lord Nicholas Stern (Chair, Grantham Research Institute)Related resourcesA Fair Share of Climate Finance (Project, ODI Global)Revitalising finance for adaptation: what role for the multilateral climate process? (Working paper, ODI Global)Vulnerable nations on the brink: the double shock of aid cuts and US tariff increases (Insight, ODI Global)The relationship between climate action and poverty reduction (Report, LSE)Small change? Our projections for the conflict blind spot in climate finance by 2030 (Insight, ODI Global)

At a time of major geopolitical turbulence, Europe finds itself at a crossroads. Long regarded as a pillar of stability and multilateralism, the continent's role in today's increasingly divided world is being tested in numerous ways – as are its key institutions.There is a new fragility to Europe's external relationships – underscored by Trump's threats to impose tariffs on EU imports, and by disagreements on security guarantees for Ukraine.This episode dissects Europe's changing role and influence in the world today. Experts explore how European nations can come together to face external threats effectively, and identify some immediate opportunities for change.Among our guests is ODI Europe’s Board Chair, Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, who shares ideas put forward in his thought-provoking new book The Divorce of Nations: A Diplomat’s Inside View as the Global Order Collapses. We also hear from historian and political writer Timothy Garton Ash, and Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London.GuestsSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalTimothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies, University of OxfordAnand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs, King’s College London & Director, UK in a Changing EuropeJoão Vale de Almeida, Chair of the ODI Europe Board and a former European Union Ambassador to the United States and the United NationsRelated resourcesThe Divorce of Nations: A Diplomat’s Inside View as the Global Order Collapses (João Vale de Almeida, The History Press, 2025)Homelands: A Personal History of Europe (Timothy Garton Ash, Penguin Random House, 2023)How is Ukraine redefining global security? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)Europe and the new world order: an updated approach to foreign engagement (Briefing paper, ODI Global)Can ‘the West’ be trusted? The future of European humanitarian aid (Insight, ODI Global)Navigating aid and national interest in Ukraine: the development toolbox of European donors (Insight, ODI Global)