TRANSFORMING ECONOMIES, STATES, AND SOCIETIES

At its core, development is about the well-being of people. But, it is also about creating societies which provide fundamental rights and just social and political outcomes. Development is often too narrowly framed as an economic process of growth or a reduction in poverty rates. Such a framing misses the point that sustainable and inclusive development requires transformative changes across three fundamental areas: in the structures of economies, in the state and institutions that govern social and market interactions and broader developmental processes, and in society itself. 

These transformations are interlinked and must occur concurrently; poor economic performance and insufficient means to secure the everyday needs of people and families leads to unequal and disenfranchised societies, which feeds into weak, corrupt, or even failing states. In turn, societies which lack trust in their governance institutions fail to garner the citizen support needed to build the kind of capable states that can promote economic performance and avoid conflict or unfair and unjust outcomes for their people.

To support these transformations, we will engage with key stakeholders at every step in creating, strengthening, and exchanging knowledge. Only bold and collaborative development solutions will lead to the achievement of the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Our work programme maps the three challenges of transforming economies, states, and societies against five key SDGs that, we believe, when achieved can unlock the development potential of countries around the world:

• SDG 5: Gender equality
• SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
• SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals