Geopolitics and development

Research conducted under the “Geopolitics and development” project investigates how geopolitical logics are expressed in and through development partnerships, and how development-related efforts co-shape the geopoliticization of international cooperation.

Projektleitung:
Sebastian Haug
Stephan Klingebiel

Finanzierung:
IDOS

Zeitrahmen:
2025 - 2028 / Laufend

Projektbeschreibung

Geopolitics is back at the centre of debates. From Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to rising tensions between the United States and China (and Europe, for that matter), questions about great power competition and spheres of influence are – once again – ubiquitous. This has considerable implications for the field of international development cooperation. Compared to 2015 when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, commitments to global sustainability now often play a less important role for how international partnerships are thought about and practiced. Instead, processes and debates that operate at the intersection of development-related themes and geopolitics have increased in relevance. The expansion of China’s South-South cooperation, for instance, is considered by some as a popular offer driven by developing-country solidarity, whereas others perceive it as menacing tool for geo-economic influence. A number of actors across the so-called developing world have seen their Southern identities become more pronounced, not least because all major global players – from China and Russia to the United States and the European Union – have been trying to step up partnerships and alliances for economic and geopolitical purposes. These trends also affect multilateral bodies that have long occupied central positions in the international development sphere, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN) system.

Publikationen

Projektkoordination

Mark Theisen

Links

The destruction of American development policy
Klingebiel, Stephan (2025)
in: D+C, 18.02.2025

Imminent shifts at the UN: how Trump plays into China’s hands
Haug, Sebastian (2025)
in: The Diplomat, 28.01.2025

Mutual legitimation attempts: the United Nations and China's Belt and Road Initiative
Haug, Sebastian (2024)
in: International Affairs, 100 (3), 1207-1230