Markets Over Aid

Forging a new, bold, blueprint for global development

The Global Partnership Hub played host to a pivotal gathering of global stakeholders determined to address the deepest legitimacy and financing crisis facing the international development cooperation system since World War II.

Held from June 22 to 23, 2026, the high-profile conference, titled "Transforming International Development Cooperation: Markets, Interests and Partnerships in a Changing Global Order," sought a constructive middle ground between abandoning aid entirely and maintaining an unsustainable status quo.

Throughout the two-day event, an average daily attendance of 150 participants—spanning think tanks, diplomacy, academia, government, media, civil society, and enterprise—actively engaged in restructuring traditional development frameworks into smarter, geopolitically literate, and impact-driven partnerships.

The strategic agenda for the event was set by an illustrious lineup of keynote speakers, including UN Under-Secretary-General H.E. Zainab Bangura, the Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya Musalia Mudavadi and Prof. Karl-Heinz Paque, President of Liberal International.

Mudavadi’s speech set the tone for the next one and half day; first painting a picture of a frayed, illegitimate and paternalistic aid dependency framework, before placing on the table the Global South demands of fair access to global markets, reform of global financial architecture, strategic technology transfers, private capital investment and equitable partnerships.

A major highlight of the plenary was the presentation of a seminal conference paper authored by James Shikwati and Rainer Heufers, titled "From Aid to Growth: A New Agenda for International Development Cooperation."

This paper challenged conventional wisdom by outlining a definitive operational shift away from traditional donor-recipient dynamics, advocating instead for self-sustaining economic growth and deeper market integration.

The dialogue on structural reform continued into a headline high-level panel discussion featuring Dr. Garry Conille, UN Resident Coordinator and former Prime Minister of Haiti and Dr. Christoph Hoffmann, the immediate former Chairman of the Bundestag Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development.

Together with young Kenyan entrepreneur Chebet Mutai and Mustafa Ibrahim, a Deputy Director General in Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, examined the pressing needs of global governance.

The theme of economic self-reliance was amplified by a powerful signature talk by prominent Senegalese entrepreneur Magatte Wade. She spoke passionately about the critical role of entrepreneurship, market freedom, and the absolute necessity of eliminating barriers to enterprise to drive growth across Africa.

As the sun set on the first day, the evening programme transitioned into a special dinner that fostered deep, strategic reflections on the future of the European-African Development Partnership.

This session was led by a distinguished trio consisting of FNF’s Sub Sahara-Africa regional director Inge Herbert, Member of the Federal Board of Free Democratic Party, Marie-Florence Mahwera, and Ambassador Hellen Gichuhi from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, who offered nuanced perspectives on fostering more equitable bilateral relations.

The core, practical work of the conference was operationalised through nine targeted breakout sessions, where sectoral experts peer-reviewed and discussed a wide array of specialised papers.

Beyond the main conference paper, seven other research papers were tabled to tackle diverse facets of modern development, exploring topics such as market-based development, sports for development, the globalisation of the world of work, diaspora bonds, doing business in Africa, entrepreneurship lessons, community-led development models, and African perceptions of multilateralism.

By the close of the event, the conference had successfully established a basis for a definitive blueprint for the future of global development, having proven that international cooperation can successfully navigate modern geopolitical realities when it leverages market forces and aligns mutual strategic interests.