Globalisation: a shifting context for development policy

The chapter on globalisation from the ‘Development co-operation report 2009’ of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) builds upon the urgent call made at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness: the development community needs to make clear improvements in the co-operation instruments. It notes that the aid effectiveness agenda can, and already is, addressing many of the problems arising from the rapid changes in the development landscape by, for example, recalibrating the development co-operation system to a clear client perspective. To a certain extent, however, this means treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. The paper urges stakeholders to start looking at the roots of the problem, learning lessons – and acting on them – to gain essential impetus and momentum from the aid effectiveness agenda and its key principles.