Northern donors are facing a decade of rapid change — and many of the system’s long‑standing assumptions no longer hold.
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Over 18 months, ODI Global brought together DAC members, policymakers, activists and thinkers from across the North and South for the Donors in a Post‑Aid World dialogue series, a set of frank conversations about what comes next for publicly funded international cooperation.
This new brief captures the strongest insights from those discussions. Based on dialogues held between October 2024 and May 2026, it distils a set of “North Stars” — clear, forward‑looking propositions to help donor governments rethink their role, rebuild trust, and adapt to shifting global power and poverty dynamics.
The recommendations outline a practical but ambitious vision for donors seeking to move beyond the traditional post‑war aid model. At a moment of disruption and geopolitical uncertainty, these North Stars offer direction for governments aiming to shape a more relevant, fair and effective system of global cooperation.
