With the U.S. Agency for International Development officially dismantled and its remnants folded into the State Department, the landscape of global aid is at a turning point. We delve into expert perspectives on what the future of foreign assistance might entail, exploring proposed transformations from widening the donor base beyond traditional Western nations to building new institutions and streamlining existing ones, such as the United Nations. This reimagining of aid aims to create a more ef...
Jul 11, 2025•33 min
As the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development wraps up, Devex reporters Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Elissa Miolene join Associate Editor Thomas Cserép for a podcast episode reflecting on what transpired this week in Sevilla — beyond the sweltering 115 degrees Celsius heat. The big takeaway from FfD4 is the Compromiso de Sevilla, a document that participants view as both a commitment and a compromise. "Multilateralism lives" became the conference's unofficial motto as countries a...
Jul 03, 2025•19 min
Special episode: How blockchain is powering crisis-to-cash infrastructure by Devex
Jul 02, 2025•24 min
Development leaders have converged on Sevilla, Spain, for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, or FfD4 — the first such gathering in a decade — as shrinking aid budgets and a U.S. retreat from multilateral commitments reshape the sector. At the 2015 conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, official development assistance was at record levels amid ambitious “billions to trillions” rhetoric — the idea that limited public funds could catalyze massive private investment to t...
Jul 01, 2025•23 min
Special episode: Can health survive the development finance revolution? by Devex
Jul 01, 2025•24 min
This week, we have been closely following the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s high-level replenishment event in Brussels. Gavi, the leading international organization that provides vaccines to lower-income countries, finalized its five-year investment round event with more than $9 billion in pledges — falling short of its total budget request of $11.9 billion. The United States decided to cut its support for the organization, with U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stating that the country...
Jun 27, 2025•26 min
This week, we are at the Bonn Climate Change Conference. From climate financing to the absence of the United States, we take a look at the major talking points at the summit and contemplate whether the talks will translate into actionable policies. We also look at how the Trump administration’s plans to cut foreign aid funding could create unexpected domestic repercussions for American agricultural producers. This policy shift carries severe consequences, potentially undermining the economic sta...
Jun 19, 2025•23 min
In celebration of our 100th podcast episode, we’re revisiting the most impactful global development stories from the past two years, covering the period since our very first recording. From the evolving aid landscape to the critical discussions around localization, we explore some of the key themes in global development that we have been covering. We examine the growing burden of debt in low-income countries and the urgent need for climate finance. During this episode, we also look back at the k...
Jun 13, 2025•36 min
On this week’s podcast episode, we unpack U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget request, which proposes sweeping cuts to foreign aid and includes the elimination of funding for major global health initiatives such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The administration has also submitted a $9.4 billion rescission proposal to the U.S. Congress, seeking to formally cancel previously approved funds, much of it earmarked for foreign assistanc...
Jun 06, 2025•38 min
This week we reflect on the 78th World Health Assembly, which Devex covered on the ground in Geneva. From the historic agreement of the Pandemic Treaty to the World Health Organization's strategies for addressing its persistent funding gap, we analyze the key takeaways from the conference. We also discuss the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid delivery mechanism, which is facing internal collapse and accusations of violating humanitarian norms. The organization’s now-for...
May 29, 2025•32 min
Explosive growth in the middle class, rapid urbanization, digitization and automation, the energy transition, and evolving geopolitics — these all present unique challenges for today’s businesses, said Jonathan Fantini-Porter, senior vice president of social impact in the Americas at Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. It’s against this backdrop that public and private sector leaders are grappling with questions of longevity, opportunity, and continued growth. With this in mind, Mastercard C...
May 27, 2025•27 min
With the 78th World Health Assembly in full swing, we dig into the main talking point of the conference: the Pandemic Agreement. The landmark treaty was adopted during this year’s edition of the annual summit. The agreement is designed to create a world better prepared for pandemics, ensuring a more equitable distribution of lifesaving medical interventions — a key challenge highlighted by the COVID-19 response. We delve into what this means for pandemic preparedness and chart the essential next...
May 22, 2025•30 min
Next week, the global health community will convene in Geneva for the World Health Organization's annual decision-making summit, the World Health Assembly. We preview the pivotal discussions expected to shape the coming year, including the implications of recent leadership changes and cost-saving initiatives at WHO, as well as the evolving role of philanthropic organizations in funding global health. We also discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s self-described “big, beautiful bill,” which made i...
May 15, 2025•28 min
For this special episode of our weekly podcast series, we sit down with outgoing UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. He reflects on his two terms, navigating the agency through transitions and current disruptions. Steiner candidly discusses the significant impact of Trump administration program cuts, detailing how they disrupted vital partnerships and supply chains in crisis-hit countries. Hear his take on these impactful cancellations within the larger context of UNDP's work. Steiner also address...
May 14, 2025•41 min
This week, we learned that billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates will commit most of his fortune to the Gates Foundation, which will close in 2045. Before this date, the foundation will double its philanthropy, spending $200 billion over the next two decades. The announcement comes as the organization, which has given away $100 billion since 2000, marks its 25th anniversary. Meanwhile, at the end of last week, U.S. President Donald Trump’s budget proposed an unprecedented slashing of U.S. foreig...
May 08, 2025•28 min
This week marked the first 100 days of the second Trump presidency. From the cutting of foreign aid programs to the laying off of government staff, we reflect on the second Trump administration's impact on the global development sector. On the topic of the U.S. government, the Department of Government Efficiency is also planning to shut down the Millennium Challenge Corporation. However, efforts are underway to try and save the agency, which has enjoyed bipartisan support and is seen as a key to...
May 01, 2025•38 min
Special episode: What’s at stake in the race for critical raw materials? by Devex
Apr 29, 2025•36 min
Summary Award-winning journalist Roger Thurow reveals how conventional farming practices are simultaneously depleting resources and failing millions of farmers worldwide. His investigation finds that many receiving food aid are actually food producers, highlighting a fundamental flaw in global agricultural systems. Drawing from field research across multiple continents, Thurow highlights promising indigenous and regenerative farming approaches that could transform global food systems while addre...
Apr 28, 2025•29 min
With the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in full swing, we are recording live from the conference. From the United States’ approach to the institutions to how to create more jobs in the global workforce, we take a look at the key discussion points at the summit. On the topic of the U.S., we chew over the possibility that the uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration may be more damaging than the tariffs themselves, dry...
Apr 24, 2025•34 min
This week we published a story in which we spoke with 14 former and current World Central Kitchen staff members and contractors to find out what lay behind the deaths of seven of the nonprofit’s staff members in Gaza. The interviewees described a workplace plagued by risk, inadequate training, and a “build-the-plane-while-flying-it” mentality. With the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund coming up next week, we discuss what the gathering will mean for the global dev...
Apr 18, 2025•41 min
Special episode: 5 billion people lack access to surgery. Here’s what needs to change by Devex
Apr 17, 2025•34 min
Summary Garance Wattez-Richard, CEO of AXA EssentiALL, discusses the transformative potential of inclusive insurance in addressing vulnerabilities, particularly in low and middle-income countries. She sits down with Raj Kumar to share her journey into the insurance industry, the evolution of microinsurance, and the importance of regulatory frameworks. The discussion highlights the profitability of inclusive insurance and its critical role in achieving sustainable development goals, especially in...
Apr 15, 2025•31 min
Confusion surrounding U.S. foreign assistance deepened this week as USAID reversed several program terminations—including life-saving food aid—just days after announcing them. The World Food Programme called the initial cuts a “death sentence for millions,” and organizations are now raising questions about data accuracy and decision-making inside the administration. We also look at how European governments are quietly debating whether to fill the gaps left by U.S. cuts, and what U.S. Secretary o...
Apr 10, 2025•30 min
The Trump administration formally informed Congress of its proposal to abolish USAID, merging key aspects of its operations into the State Department. This plan involves the complete shutdown of the agency and subsequent staff layoffs. Despite this, the U.S. government intends to preserve vital programs concerning humanitarian assistance, food security, and global health, potentially leading to the rehiring of some former USAID employees under the State Department. This week we are also in Oxfor...
Apr 04, 2025•36 min
Summary Discover why "business as usual" fails in the world's toughest places. Viva Ona Bartkus sits down with Raj Kumar to reveal the counterintuitive tactics that unlock massive opportunities where others fear to tread. Learn why: The most successful security strategy isn't higher walls – it's community ownership How to turn "middlemen with guns" into business partners Why Chinese companies are winning while Western firms hesitate Plus: The radical partnership model that's transforming dangero...
Apr 03, 2025•41 min
This week, the Trump administration released a detailed inventory of 5,341 discontinued USAID programs, alongside the 898 projects that are still active. We dig into the ins and outs of the data to assess the true scope of the government's policy changes, as well as reveal which programs have been most affected. During the conversation, we also discussed how the Trump administration’s foreign policy is affecting U.N. agencies and their funding. On the topic of the United Nations, the U.N. Arab G...
Mar 28, 2025•36 min
In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, Devex dives deeper into how climate change is driving increased gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work and the cutting-edge research that’s not only mapping its impacts but also improving our understanding of potential solutions. Hear directly from Kathy Baughman McLeod, the founder and CEO of Climate Resilience for All, a global NGO dedicated to strengthening women's health and livelihoods in the face of climate-driv...
Mar 26, 2025•39 min
This week we dig into the different proposals on how the Trump administration could reform foreign assistance. According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s post on the social media platform X, 1,000 programs will be retained, with plans to potentially fold USAID into the State Department. We also learned that Peter Marocco, who acted as deputy administrator of USAID for 6 weeks, has officially left USAID but remains at the State Department. However, given that the two government bodies may...
Mar 21, 2025•28 min
This week a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay USAID partners for billions of dollars in foreign aid work completed before Feb. 13. The ruling also stated that the president does not have “unbounded power” in the realm of foreign affairs. This means that the U.S. government must spend the money that’s already been appropriated by Congress. We discuss whether this ruling will hold and what it will mean for U.S. foreign assistance. We also analyze the potential effects of evolvi...
Mar 14, 2025•33 min
This week the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to not pay billions of dollars in foreign aid to USAID and State Department partners — lifting a temporary reprieve granted by Chief Justice John Roberts. On the topic of USAID, the U.S. African Development Foundation mounted a direct challenge to the Trump administration. Wednesday saw USADF staff physically prevent Department of Government Efficiency officials from entering their offices. Across the pond, U.K. Pri...
Mar 07, 2025•23 min
