Multilateralism is imperilled. Rights-based norms are under assault. Resources are being repurposed around narrow strategic interests rather than collective progress. 🚨
We are at a decisive moment for global cooperation, for the credibility of expertise, and for the prospects of equitable progress. The old settlement is fraying; what replaces it is being contested now.
This is not a moment for business as usual.
ODI Global’s new 2026-2031 strategy sets out how we will respond.
Over the next five years, we will:
• Pair rigorous, independent evidence with sharper strategies for influence.
• Deepen equitable partnerships with institutions in regions historically underrepresented in global policy and knowledge systems.
• Build coalitions that cut across sectors and geographies.
• Invest in narratives that propel evidence beyond specialist circles.
Equity and justice are not add-ons. They are the organising principles behind our work.
We will continue to champion the norms and values that make collective action possible.
Not just to respond to change – but to help shape it.
#GlobalDevelopment #Evidence #Partnerships #Equity #Justice
The ODI Global Strategy for 2026-2031 is out today! 🌍
Our Chief Executive Sara Pantuliano sets out the volatile context defining today’s world – and why ODI Global is uniquely positioned to seize this moment.
The immediate consequences of rupture are visible and stark. Financial, political and intellectual resources are being repurposed around new strategic interests, rather than collective progress.
From climate impacts, war and debt distress to technological disruption and geopolitical rivalry, analysis without purpose will not be enough in this harsher landscape.
That’s why we’ll be going further over these next five years to drive positive change. We’ll continue to provide robust evidence and forge equitable partnerships, which will sit at the heart of our operating model. And we’ll invest in translating our evidence into actionable narratives for change.
How we respond to crisis and disruption now, and over the next five years, will be critical to strengthening equity and justice.
Find the strategy via the link in our bio. 💡
#GlobalDevelopment #Evidence #Partnerships #Equity #Justice
Hello and welcome if you’re new here 👋
We’re ODI Global. More than a think tank, we’re a force for positive change working towards a more resilient, just and equitable future.
We bring together ideas, evidence and expertise to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges through actionable strategies.
That means questioning what isn’t working, testing assumptions, and collaborating across boundaries to find better ways forward.
If you’re interested in how change really happens and how it can make the world better, you’re in the right place. Follow along, and explore more of our work, including our podcast, events and research, via the link in our bio.
#ODIGlobal #GlobalDevelopment #SocialImpact #Policy #Research
This year the UN will appoint a new Secretary-General – a decision that will shape how the world responds to conflict, crises and growing humanitarian need.
The race for the UN’s top job is gathering pace, and the four candidates vying for the role recently faced hearings at the UN General Assembly.
As part of the 1 for 8 Billion campaign for a more inclusive and transparent selection process, we’re tracking where candidates stand on key humanitarian policy issues.
Swipe for a snapshot of their positions on UN humanitarian action ➡️
We asked global leaders why it’s time for a global reckoning. ⏳
Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, warns that women’s rights can never be taken for granted in today’s climate.
From the rollback of Roe v. Wade in the United States to mounting pressure on the multilateral system, she highlights how quickly progress can be undone and why continued mobilisation across governments and society is essential.
Protecting and advancing women’s rights means staying vigilant, pushing for progress, and seizing opportunities for change at the global level.
We’ll continue sharing insights from global leaders and activists in the days ahead. 💡#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #ItsTimeForAGlobalReckoning #WD2026
A new era for China–Africa trade? 🇨🇳🌍
From 1 May 2026, China removes tariffs on imports from 𝟓𝟑 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 – that’s the most expansive market access offer Africa currently has from any major trading partner.
China is already Africa’s largest trading partner. But for years, the relationship has been marked by imbalance: many African economies export raw materials, while importing higher-value manufactured goods.
African leaders have repeatedly called for greater access to China’s market.
This move is part of Beijing’s response.
📊 It goes further than the EU’s “Everything But Arms” scheme.
📉 It is broader and potentially more stable than the US’s AGOA.
🌍 And it applies to almost the entire continent.
But tariffs are only part of the story.
⚠️ High shipping costs, complex standards and administrative barriers still shape who can realistically export – and who cannot.
So will this shift trade patterns – or remain largely symbolic?
Swipe through for the key insights 👉
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This analysis is part of our work on trade, investment and economic transformation in low- and middle-income countries. It was prepared by Linda Calabrese, Senior Research Fellow at ODI Global’s International Economic Development Group.
Follow us for more evidence-based insights on global trade and development.
#ChinaAfrica #ChinaInAfrica #AfricaChina #InternationalTrade #EconomicDevelopment
As an inspiring week at the @women_deliver conference closes, I’m leaving Australia sleep-deprived but also more energised than ever. The conversations I’ve had with activists from around the world have been a powerful reminder that the fight for gender equality is alive and kicking. ✊
A couple of key lessons I’ll be taking home.
First: awareness of how the gender and climate backlash are deeply interconnected is growing – a trend we have long been analysing at @odi.global . What was palpable in Naarm was the momentum building to form the coalitions we so urgently need to resist and push back. COP31 will be a key battleground.
And second, multilateralism is clearly under immense strain. Attempts to weaken language in global forums are eroding hard-won rights and undermining the international normative architecture built over decades.
Huge thanks to my brilliant colleagues whose work will continue to expose the political forces driving this backlash, including our team in Naarm who have worked tirelessly!
#WD2026 #WomenDeliver #InsideTheGlobalBacklash #GenderEquality #Multilateralism
Safe travels home!
Next in our interview series with global leaders at Women Deliver Conference, we asked Thelma Ekiyor, International CEO of @womenforwomen why it’s time for a global reckoning 🚨
Her call is urgent: decades after global commitments to women, peace and security, conflict continues to devastate women’s lives and safety remains out of reach for too many.
This is about confronting the failure to protect women and girls in a world of escalating conflict and recognising that only collective action and strong coalitions can drive meaningful change🤝
#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #WD2026 #GenderEquality #WomenPeaceSecurity #FeministLeadership
We’re asking global leaders at the Women Deliver conference why it’s time for a global reckoning. ⏳ First up: Sharan Burrow, Former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.
Her call is urgent: we cannot meet today’s challenges with economic systems built on extraction and fossil fuels - models that are failing to deliver security, health, or justice.
This is about confronting who our economies are built for and whose interests they serve - and shifting power towards feminist leadership, collective action, and new economic thinking that works for people and planet.
We’ll be sharing more interviews with global leaders and activists throughout the week 💡
#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #WD2026 #GenderEquality #ClimateJustice #FeministLeadership
This is the first-ever Women Deliver Conference to be regionally hosted in the Oceanic Pacific 🌏
It is taking place in Naarm, Melbourne - on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin Nation ✊🏽
Naarm is a place where cultures, languages, and stories come together, shaping one of the most multicultural cities in the world 🌿
You see it everywhere - in the streets, in the art, in the people: women leading, creating, working, and raising their voices 🎨📣
Women Deliver is here to recognise and honour the leadership of First Nations and Pacific feminists and to be shaped by it 🤝
#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #WD2026 #GenderEquality #FeministLeadership #GlobalSolidarity
Day 3 at Women Deliver Conference and we are halfway through the week 🟡
ODI Global’s Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez reflects on being immersed in this space of collective power, global solidarity, and feminist leadership 📣
From conversations at our booth to the wider conference, what stands out most is the strength of connection across movements, and the importance of coming together in this moment of backlash.
It’s been a energising reminder of what collective organising makes possible 🤝
We’ll continue sharing voices from activists and feminists throughout the week.
#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #WD2026 #GlobalSolidarity #FeministLeadership
Building on our conversations on backlash and power at Women Deliver, ODI Global’s Senior Research Associate Brianna Craft shared three clear takeaways from our workshop on gender and climate backlash:
🌍Backlash is happening everywhere.
📣We need creative, radical solutions to push back.
🤝And we must build broad alliances - across local, national, and international levels.
This moment calls for collective action. It will take all of us to stand up for gender equality and climate justiceand to push forward, together.
We will continue sharing videos from activists and feminists throughout the week.
#InsideTheGlobalBacklash #WomenDeliver #GenderEquality #ClimateAction #ClimateJustice
