2025 Development Cooperation Forum reimagines global cooperation to deliver a sustainable future, amid growing challenges
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With nearly 600 million people projected to remain in extreme poverty by 2030 and the gap to finance the SDGs expected to widen to $4 trillion annually, the 2025 Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) will address the urgent need to realign international development cooperation to serve the most vulnerable.
“While the global landscape is fraught with tensions and fragility, we must double down on our efforts towards equitable sustainable development, by prioritizing those who are furthest behind and most vulnerable,” urges H.E. Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council.
Under the theme of “Transforming International Development Cooperation: From Global Dialogue to Action,” the Forum takes place at a critical moment. Major donors are scaling back foreign aid commitments, threatening critical development and humanitarian programmes. The impact of these changes highlights the need for stronger, more resilient development cooperation models.
The DCF will focus on enhancing country leadership, strengthening the quality and impact of international development cooperation, and ensuring that the international architecture of development cooperation is fit for purpose. The Forum will directly contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing how international development cooperation can effectively balance immediate humanitarian needs with climate adaptation and long-term sustainable development goals.
The outcomes of the Forum will feed into major upcoming milestones. This includes the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), where Member States are currently negotiating reforms to the global financial architecture, particularly in areas such as concessional financing for vulnerable economies, debt sustainability, and strengthening the quality and impact of international development cooperation.
The Forum will also provide input to this year’s High-level Political Forum, especially its reviews of SDGs 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth), and 17 (global partnerships), by generating action-oriented recommendations on how international development cooperation can promote inclusive and sustainable development.
WHEN: 12 March 2025, 10 am- 6 pm EDT and 13 March 2025, 10 am – 1 pm EDT
WHERE: UN Headquarters in New York. Follow live on UN Web TV
WHO: High-level officials and representatives from UN Member States, experts from academia, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
The opening session on Wednesday, 12 March, will feature remarks by H.E. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC, followed by a statement by the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Li Junhua. Mr. Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, will present the Report of the Secretary-General on trends and progress in international development cooperation. The report contains an analysis of key trends and challenges in international development cooperation, highlighting the need to strengthen country ownership and leadership.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Website: https://financing.desa.un.org/2025-dcf
Follow the conversation via social media by using the hashtag #DCF2025.
Media contacts:
Helen Daun Rosengren, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs | E: rosengrenh@un.org
Alex del Castello, UN Department of Global Communications | E: alexandra.delcastello@un.org
Zihan Jia, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs | E: zihan.jia@un.org
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