Short Abstract

The panel assesses how new lenders and alliances reshape policy space, standards and debt terms. Specifically we will be focusing on negotiation strategies, transparency, safeguards and equity. The aim is to propose reforms for fairer outcomes and accountable finance.

Description

International aid and finance has evolved into a multipolar arena, where recipient governments must navigate a diverse array of funding sources. These include established traditional donors and multilateral development banks, alongside newer actors such as China, Gulf states, regional investment funds, and private sector financiers. This complexity requires careful consideration of how to integrate competing offers while safeguarding national interests.

This panel explores the ways in which loan conditionalities, transparency requirements, environmental and social governance standards,as well as debt repayment terms constrain or expand policy autonomy. The panel will also look into how it affect socioeconomic outcomes.

We encourage submissions of sector-specific or country-focused studies that analyze negotiation strategies, co-financing mechanisms, and the cascading impacts on initiatives in areas like infrastructure development, public health, digital public goods, and climate adaptation finance.

Papers that leverage empirical data from budgets, legal agreements, stakeholder interviews, or process-tracing methodologies are particularly welcome. We also invite proposals that advance practical solutions for enhancing transparency, aligning safeguards across donors, and facilitating equitable debt restructuring processes, with a strong emphasis on prioritizing domestic agendas.

The panel seeks to articulate a coherent equity framework for this shifting global order, ensuring that transformations in aid and finance promote inclusive and sustainable results for all stakeholders.

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