Held on the margins of the 2026 IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, this private roundtable – convened by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) in partnership with the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center – brings together policymakers and experts to examine how positive economic statecraft (PES) can inform the future of development finance.
The global development finance landscape is undergoing significant transformation. Traditional public sector donors in the Global North are recalibrating, reducing or redirecting aid flows, while new actors, including emerging economies, private sector institutions and philanthropic organizations, are playing an increasingly prominent role. At the same time, mounting debt burdens, constrained fiscal space and growing scrutiny of multilateral institutions are raising fundamental questions about the structure and effectiveness of the international financial system.
Public support for development assistance has also stagnated in many contexts, reflecting domestic economic pressures and shifting political priorities. In an era of heightened geopolitical competition, development cooperation must be reframed to align with national and economic security considerations while maintaining its core objectives.
Against this backdrop, the roundtable will explore how positive economic statecraft – leveraging both incentives such as financing, grants and technical assistance, alongside strategic policy tools – can provide a more effective and pragmatic framework for development finance. Discussions will focus on how PES can help mobilize private capital, strengthen partnerships, and support more strategic, coordinated approaches to international economic cooperation.
