The Multilateral Development System
The Multilateral Development System: Indispensable but Complex - Briefing
Author: Eric Pichon
Date of publication: May 2017
Author: Eric Pichon
Date of publication: May 2017
Multilateral development institutions have been conceived as a means of pooling States' efforts in their international development cooperation and humanitarian interventions. Developing common policies, sharing funding for important actions, addressing issues beyond national frameworks are all arguments in favor of the multilateral development system. Over time, however, the multiplication of actors, the contradictory objectives of donor countries and the tensions between the strategies of multilateral bodies and their donors have caused the system to lose its coherence. Within the European Union itself, despite the institutions' commitment to effective multilateralism, the Member States use the multilateral system in very different ways. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda, which sets universal goals for development and attaches a large share to the common goods of humanity (climate, peace, health, financial stability) could be an opportunity to reshape the multilateral development system.
[Text in french]
