Getting aid on course
Address:
Bahá’í International Community,
Rue Montoyer 31,
Floor 5,
Brussels 1000,
Belgium
Panellists
- Matthew Simonds, Senior Policy and Advocacy, Eurodad (author of the report 'Aid off course. How ODA reform has left the Global South behind')
- Martha Bekele, Development Transformations (online)
- Jean Van Wetter CEO of Enabel, the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation
- Ruth Faber, CEO of EU - CORD and Board member of CONCORD
- Moderator: María José Romero, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Eurodad
Background
International aid and development policy is at a crossroads. Over the past decade a “modernisation process” led by the OECD-DAC, an exclusive forum of rich countries,has fundamentally changed what counts as aid (official development assistance - ODA) so it is no longer focused on poverty reduction and the fight against inequalities in the Global South. Instead aid is now shaped by the foreign policies and commercial interests of OECD Member countries. At the same time, geopolitical reprioritisation and the pressure caused by austerity policies have resulted in massive cuts to aid budgets, with significant consequences for the Global South.
2026 is a pivotal year to change course - to reclaim and reimagine ODA that truly delivers. This event brings together civil society from the Global North and South, alongside policymakers, to critically examine the direction of ODA and articulate a vision of a just, effective and accountable system of development cooperation.
This event will also launch a new Eurodad report on the ODA modernisation process - the first comprehensive civil society retrospective on this rich country-driven and opaque reform agenda. The report examines how it has had a significant impact on the quantity and quality of resources that countries from the Global South receive. Drawing lessons from this experience will be essential to inform the debate on the ongoing review of the OECD-DAC’s composition and role, and evolving global cooperation policies.