What would an IDC Convention cover? Why do we need an IDC Convention if we already have commitments on aid quantity and quality? Don’t we have too many Conventions already? Isn’t an IDC Convention too ambitious? If we have an IDC Convention at the UN what happens to the existing institutions like… Will a new IDC Convention abandon or weaken the existing commitments? What could an IDC Convention bring to the table that the OECD-DAC doesn’t have? Who is pushing for an IDC Convention? How do I get involved?

Who is pushing for an IDC Convention?

Civil Society in the global south and north has been calling for a Convention on IDC for more than a decade. However, these calls have been heightened with recent developments on how and where aid is being deployed. This, coupled with the opportunity of FfD4 as a once-in-a-decade moment, means CSOs are elevating this call as a transformative proposal that can address the root causes of the failure of ODA to be truly transformative, as it should be.

In addition to CSOs from south and north, the call for a Convention (or something similar) can now be heard from some UN Member States. For instance, Malawi on behalf of the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Tanzania in a December Statement, and Zambia in a written submission. Other Member States and groupings have also called for a strengthened role for the UN in these discussions.