Patterns of international cooperation
This project aimed at examining how cooperation with developing countries will change over time. Until now, development cooperation has been considered a dominant mode of cooperation with developing countries. However, long-term shifts in wealth and poverty raise the question of the future role of development cooperation in comparison to other forms of cooperation. Given these changes, there is a need to develop a more comprehensive understanding of emerging patterns of international cooperation acknowledging the role that actors and cooperation models outside of the traditional development assistance policy community are playing in transforming development cooperation.
Project description
The research project looked into how cooperation with developing countries will evolve in the future. Global long-term shifts in wealth and poverty raise fundamental questions about the future of international cooperation. In the face of these structural changes, development cooperation as a central mode of cooperation with developing countries diminishes in relative importance. Its vertical approach to cooperation, based on a dichotomous division between donors and recipients, is gradually being undermined by a more complex differentiation of partner countries and a more diverse range of actors. This creates both the scope and the necessity for new patterns of cooperation.
The fight against poverty is likely to remain one of the main global challenges of the 21st century. Therefore, development cooperation in its current form cannot be declared obsolete and will continue to play an important role with regard to the poorest countries in the medium term. At the same time, the role of development cooperation in addressing an increasing and changing demand for international cooperation (e.g. global public goods) is likely to be limited.
The research project looked into new patterns of cooperation from two different perspectives: a first set of questions related to the future relevance of development cooperation. To what extent can development cooperation play a role and build synergies with other patterns of cooperation? How can a diversifying actor landscape in development cooperation contribute to innovation in this field? From another perspective, the project seeked to develop a comprehensive understanding of international cooperation which is not limited to discussing the future relevance of development cooperation.