Next context for development co-operation highlights new challenges

Despite development successes over the past 20 years and the progress of many emerging economies, development ministers at the High Level Meeting of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) noted that inequality is increasing in all countries and 1.4 billion people still live in absolute poverty.

Governments also recognised that the context for development co-operation has irrevocably changed. Shifting global wealth is breaking down the former division between North and South. Co-operation among South-South partners, as well as triangular co-operation, is complementing North-South co-operation, thereby increasing the scope, reach and effectiveness of the international development assistance system. Likewise, civil society and the private sector are playing an increasingly important role as partners in development co-operation.

Participating governments committed to make the effort to connect different agendas – MDGs, financing for development, development effectiveness and policy coherence for development. They recognised that this broader agenda engages a larger set of partners who can contribute in different ways to development progress. Multi-sectoral collaboration and enhanced co-operation among development actors were recognized as increasingly important in this new context.

World leaders optimistic about women's empowerment

The 2012 Club de Madrid Conference gathered more than 40 democratic former heads of State and Government in Little Rock, USA to discuss what needs to be done to achieve political and economic empowerment for women and girls across the globe.

The discussion had strong links to the Development Centre's work on gender, emphasizing the urgent need to change social and cultural norms that hold women and girls back. A key message from the conference was the need to sustain a focus on women's leadership; reinforcing political quotas as an important tool for achieving a critical mass of women in decision-making.

Ending violence against women, particularly in the context of conflict and fragility was another top priority for the Club of Madrid leaders. Ensuring that all peace agreements and negotiations include a gender perspective and promote women's participation is critical.

Southeast Asia: domestic demand a major driver of growth

Medium-term growth prospects for Southeast Asia show resilience with domestic demand being the major driver of growth, though Emerging Asia will begin to slow gradually. Narrowing development gaps within and among countries remains a key challenge in the region.

ASEAN economies are forecasted to growth at 5.5% through 2017. The key policy challenges to sustain healthy growth are: the appropriate management of capital inflows and dollarization as well as enhancing fiscal capacities through better revenue mobilization. Southeast Asian countries also need to search for new growth models and development strategies as well as rely more on domestic demand to adapt to changing international market conditions.

According to the newly developed ASEAN-OECD Narrowing Development Gaps Indicators (NDGIs), disparities are at their widest in poverty and human capital development. Hence, these areas require greater efforts.  

Besides the seminar in Paris on 13 December, the Southeast Asian Economic Outlook 2013: With Perspectives on China and India was also presented in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

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