The Report of the Secretary-General on Trends and progress in international development cooperation (E/2025/8) was published in advance of the 2025 Development Cooperation Forum (DCF), held on 12-13 March in New York.
The report outlined four urgent priorities to make international development cooperation fit-for-purpose, backed by compelling data:
- Restore the integrity, impact, quality, and effectiveness of Official Development Assistance (ODA).
ODA remains crucial but is underdelivered, with donors contributing only 0.37% of GNI—far below the 0.7% commitment. LDCs receive just 0.08% (target: 0.15–0.20%). There’s a troubling decline in Country Programmable Aid and a surge in in-donor refugee costs (now 25% of ODA), undermining long-term investments. The report calls for renewed commitments and targets, including rebalancing ODA toward countries and budget support.
- Scale up and simplify access to climate finance that is additional to ODA commitments.
While COP29 set a $300 billion/year goal by 2035, access remains challenging, especially for SIDS and LICs, due to burdensome procedures and high costs. The climate finance architecture must be reformed to enable direct access, streamline reporting, and reduce reliance on debt instruments.
- Align development cooperation modalities with development impact, particularly through meaningful leverage of private sector engagement.
Blended finance is underutilized in vulnerable countries (only 17–19% report its use according to the 2024/2025 DCF Survey) and mainly benefits middle-income countries. A new approach is needed—focused on sustainable development impact, improved measurement, and alignment with national plans and NDCs.
- Modernize the international development cooperation architecture to make it fit for purpose.
The current system is fragmented and complex, straining country capacities and weakening ownership. Reforms must empower country leadership through integrated plans and coordination platforms. Strengthening the DCF as an inclusive global forum is essential to drive coherence, dialogue, and innovation.