Policy Brief

Social contracts and the UN’s “Common Goals”: conceptualising a new role for international organisations

Loewe, Markus / Tina Zintl (2025)
Policy Brief 7/2025

International organisations often refer to social contracts. A concept developed by IDOS helps to fill the term with contents. It shows that international organisations can support the renegotiation of national social contracts and establish supra-national social contracts.

Allocating international loss and damage finance through national climate funds: prospects for African LDCs

Aleksandrova, Mariya / Washington Onyango Kanyangi / Assouhan Jonas Atchadé / Joanes Atela / Charles Tonui (2025)
Policy Brief 6/2025

Global health at a crossroads: policy recommendations in light of the Lancet Global Health 2050 Report

Strupat, Christoph / Marco Schäferhoff / Martin Siegel / Anna-Katharina Hornidge (2025)
Policy Brief 5/2025

How can countries cut their probability of premature death in half by 2050? The new ‘Global Health 2050’ roadmap outlines a bold path, and Germany is poised to lead. Discover how strategic investments, health taxes, and a focus on R&D can set the pace for a healthier, more resilient future.

Enhancing public works programmes: sustainable impact through participatory asset creation and digitalisation

Burchi, Francesco / Tekalign Gutu Sakketa (2025)
Policy Brief 4/2025

This policy brief discusses key aspects related to the design of public works programmes. In particular, it provides recommendations on how to enhance the quality of the asset constructed through the programme and how to address some of the challenges faced when introducing digital innovations.

Can guarantees effectively leverage financing for SMEs in low- and middle-income countries?

Bambe, Bao-We-Wal (2025)
Policy Brief 3/2025

Securing a development-friendly US trade policy: the urgent need for an AGOA revamp

Britz, Wolfgang / Zoryana Olekseyuk / Tim Vogel (2025)
Policy Brief

As AGOA expiration looms, Sub-Saharan Africa faces uncertainty regarding its US trade. While overall impacts seem mild, some countries and key sectors risk severe losses. This policy brief explores what is at stake and outlines reforms to modernise AGOA to foster Africa’s sustainable future.

A new development paradigm and strategy for the OECD (and beyond): what should the ‘D’ of OECD stand for?

Sumner, Andy / Stephan Klingebiel / Arief Anshory Yusuf (2025)
Policy Brief 1/2025

This paper examines the evolving role of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Develop-ment (OECD) in addressing global development challenges in the mid-2020s. It is exploring the tensions inherent in the definition of “development” and asking whose development the OECD seeks to support.

Coastal adaptation – for whom and to what? Zooming in on eroding sands and the livelihoods of artisanal fishers in India

Schüpf, Dennis / Nithya Kuppusami / E. Lisa F. Schipper (2024)
Policy Brief 34/2024

As beaches erode, fishers' livelihoods are at stake. This policy brief explores the trade-offs between climate resilience and coastal development in India. It highlights the importance of integrating sand governance to avoid maladaptation to climate change.

Youth perspectives and engagement on sustainability

Grimm, Sven / Reon van der Merwe / Nitish Barole / Isaac Atchikiti / Esinam Attipoe / Olfa Chebaane / Mamadou Djigo / Tuhinsubhra Giri / Si Peng / Danai J Tembo (2024)
Policy Brief 33/2024

“The Youth” is an important group in the context of policy-making for sustainability. Including the next generation is an important bridge into the future. Which are their key topics and how (not) to involve the youth?

Internal displacement, informal local structures and social cohesion in Mozambique

Jaji, Rose (2024)
Policy Brief 32/2024

Host communities demonstrate the capacity to organise informal interventions that result in positive reception, accommodation and integration of IDPs, as well as maintenance of social cohesion without material and logistical support from the government.

Fostering justice across the Rio Conventions: emerging levers for cooperation and coordination

Aleksandrova, Mariya / Aparajita Banerjee / Marcelo Inacio da Cunha / Jean Carlo Rodríguez de Francisco / Michael Brüntrup / Daniele Malerba (2024)
Policy Brief 31/2024

The Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD) offer multilateral and national platforms for integrating justice to achieve sustainable futures for all and to meet shared goals across three emerging themes under the UNFCCC: nature-based solutions, loss and damage, and just transition pathways.

Channelling special drawing rights to multilateral development banks: overcoming remaining legal and political obstacles

Berensmann, Kathrin / Yabibal Walle / Elise Dufief / Paulo Esteves / Rob Floyd / Yu Ye (2024)
Policy Brief 30/2024

The most efficient way to channel Special Drawing Rights to developing countries is through multilateral development banks. The African Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank have proposed a hybrid capital solution. This Policy Brief addresses the challenges to implementing it.

Countering information pollution to protect democracy

Sinanoglu, Semuhi / Anita Breuer (2024)
Policy Brief 29/2024

This policy brief discusses international efforts to counter information pollution. It critically discusses available tools against information pollution, and argues for holistic, long-term strategies that engage businesses as stakeholders to build societal resilience against information pollution.

Can capital markets be harnessed for the financing of small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in low- and middle-income countries?

Sommer, Christoph (2024)
Policy Brief 28/2024

SMEs are key to inclusive development. Yet they are often hampered by constrained access to finance. Since their most important source of external finance, bank loans, is insufficient to meet their financing needs, this brief explores the (potential) role of capital markets for SME finance in LMICs.

“Open strategic autonomy”: an assessment and positioning for German development policy

Klingebiel, Stephan (2024)
Policy Brief 27/2024

This Policy Brief provides an overview and assessments of debates on development policy. It deals with the the need to reorient German development policy in the long term in view of international contexts and the need to initiate reforms.

„Offene strategische Autonomie“: eine entwicklungspolitische Standortbestimmung und Positionierung für die deutsche Entwicklungspolitik

Klingebiel, Stephan (2024)
Policy Brief 26/2024

Der Policy Brief gibt einen Überblick und Einschätzungen zu Debatten über Entwicklungspolitik. Er befasst sich mit der Notwendigkeit, die deutsche Entwicklungspolitik angesichts veränderter internationaler Kontexte langfristig neu auszurichten und Reformen anzustoßen.

Hacia una eliminación progresiva y estratégica del subsidio al ACPM en Colombia

Böhl Gutierrez, Mauricio / José Vega Araújo / Elisa Arond (2024)
Policy Brief 25/2024

El desmonte de subsidios al ACPM es crítico para la salud fiscal y la transición energética de Colombia. Dados los impactos socioeconómicos, es esencial un proceso coordinado. Recomendamos seis medidas para que el gobierno guíe este proceso en coordinación con actores claves.

Trump 2.0 in times of political upheaval? Implications of a possible second presidency for International politics and Europe

Klingebiel, Stephan / Max-Otto Baumann (2024)
Policy Brief 24/2024

The impact of another Donald Trump presidency is likely to be hugely significant for all areas of international relations. We focus on areas of action that are particularly important for global sustainable development and for the Global South.

International rules on health data sharing for a new pandemic agreement

Holzscheiter, Anna / Maria Weickardt Soares (2024)
Policy Brief 23/2024

The policy brief discusses the growing politicisation and polarisation surrounding health data (sharing) in negotiations towards a new Pandemic Agreement. It elucidates why the ongoing negotiations are a particularly hard case for international cooperation and enhancing equity in global health.

Smart packages: six steps to design effective behavioural policies

Pegels, Anna (2024)
Policy Brief 22/2024

Effective development policies often rely on behavioural change of target populations. IDOS developed a six-step procedure for behaviour-centered policies, based on 10+ years of experience. The steps are illustrated with waste management practice cases but are broadly applicable.