A UN multilateral treaty - a legally binding instrument of the UN which includes Conventions - is often used by Member States and in intergovernmental processes to generate strong buy-in for agreed commitments. While a treaty may signal an increased level of ambition, it is hardly a rare instrument reserved for only the most special of circumstances. To date there are upwards of 550 multilateral treaties under the UN’s multilateral treaty framework.

Looking at geopolitics today, an agreement for an overhaul of the governance of IDC might seem too ambitious or unrealistic. But the beauty of multilateralism and the UN is that it only takes the political will of a few to start a process to make what seems impossible an achievable reality. By actively and constructively engaging in a discussion on how to democratise the governance of IDC, countries from the global north can show leadership in promoting reforms that can have a significant impact on the quantity and quality of resources that countries of the global south receive. If we delay action, we risk further eroding the legitimacy and credibility of ODA statistics, something CSOs and other actors argue began with the OECD-DAC modernisation process. Given the geopolitical reality, this is an essential move towards buttressing the multilateral system and to protecting gains made to date.