Harvard Center for International Development 106d ago

“I agree that the old aid model is dead. I disagree that it’s the end of development. If you think of development not as the aid industry, not as assistance, but from a country’s perspective—as aspirations for its economy and for its people.” — Alexia Latortue, Head of Secretariat, Future of Development Cooperation Coalition At CID’s Road to GEM Speaker Series, Latortue argued that the current development cooperation system—built in the aftermath of World War II—helped deliver major gains in health, education, infrastructure, and poverty reduction, but is no longer equipped for today’s realities. As conflict, climate risk, pandemics, debt stress, geopolitical fragmentation, and cuts to official development assistance reshape the global landscape, she called for a broader and more legitimate framework for cooperation—one that moves beyond aid and starts from the country perspective. That means focusing not only on external financing, but on the full set of drivers of development: domestic public resources, private investment, trade, institutions, and state capacity. Latortue emphasized that modernizing development cooperation is not simply about mobilizing more money, but about reducing fragmentation, aligning support with national priorities, and building the capacity to govern and implement effectively. In a more multipolar world, she argued, the challenge is not whether development still matters, but how to build a system of cooperation that is more effective, more honest, and better able to support long-term growth and resilience. Visit our website: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid Please follow us @HarvardCID on: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvardcid Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harvardcid/ Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/harvard-cid Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/harvardcid.bsky.social Stay up to date with CID Events and jobs/opportunities by signing up for our newsletter: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/subscribe #InternationalDevelopment #DevelopmentCooperation #DevelopmentFinance #GlobalDevelopment #PublicPolicy #HarvardCID #RoadToGEM #GEM26