Plenary session
Panel discussion: Eliminating poverty – the future of international aid

On 14 May 2024, join us in Maputo, Mozambique, for a keynote panel on the future of international aid architecture. This session, moderated by Henk-Jan Brinkman, the Permanent Observer of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to the United Nations in NYC, features a diverse panel of experts, including Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva, Shanta Devarajan, Frederik Matthys, Aicha Robei, and Rachel Gisselquist, each bringing a unique perspective to the evolving landscape of development finance.

As global priorities change and poverty increasingly concentrated in conflict settings, traditional funding models are reevaluated due to shifting political tides in the Global North and changing economic and political environments in the Global South, our panel dives into the complexities of adapting aid structures to meet these new challenges. They will explore innovative financing mechanisms to fill financing gaps and discuss how to improve aid delivery amidst a much more complex environment. 

The panel aims to uncover strategies to ensure aid achieves what it is supposed to do, drawing lessons from a variety of aid models, including empowering local communities to enhance aid effectiveness. This session is not just a dialogue, but a call to action, inviting participants to rethink the future of international aid.

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The world at crossroads – securing the future generations

 

RESOURCES

Programme

COLLABORATORS

16:00-17:30 (UTC+2)

HenkHenk-Jan Brinkman | Moderator

Henk-Jan Brinkman is the Permanent Observer of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to the United Nations in NYC. Previously, he worked in the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, the World Food Programme, the office of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He holds an M.A. in economics (University of Groningen, Netherlands) and a Ph.D. in economics (New School for Social Research, New York City).

LuisLuis Felipe Lopez-Calva | Panelist

Luis Felipe López-Calva is the Global Director for Poverty and Equity at the World Bank. He has over 25 years of experience working with international institutions and advising national governments, including in leadership roles at the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme and academic roles at Harvard, Stanford, UC-San Diego and UNU-WIDER. His research interests focus on labor markets, poverty and inequality, institutions, and the microeconomics of development.

ShantaShanta Devarajan | Panelist

Shantayanan Devarajan is Professor of the Practice of International Development at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He spent 28 years at the World Bank, where he was the Senior Director for Development Economics and the Chief Economist of the South Asia, Africa, and Middle East and North Africa regions. Born in Sri Lanka, Shanta received his A.B. from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

FrederikFrederik Matthys | Panelist

Frederik Matthys is Head of Policies and Networks in the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate. From 2006 to 2021, he worked for the UN in different capacities at country and HQ level most recent as Chief Policy and Innovation. He started his career working as policy advisor in Belgium for the Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs and as a change management consultant in the private sector.

AichaAicha Robei | Panelist

Aicha Robei, part of the Higher Council for Youth, champions the Well-being of Future Generations Act. Also, an English teacher and artist, she's devoted to enhancing children's education, excelling in global forums such as WGS 2023. As a UNICEF Youth Foresight Fellow, she's dedicated to enhancing conditions in refugee camps worldwide, advocating for youth's power to shape inclusive policies.

RachelRachel Gisselquist | Panelist

Rachel M. Gisselquist, a political scientist, is a Senior Research Fellow with the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) and a member of the institute’s senior management team. She works on the politics of developing countries, with particular attention to inequality, ethnic politics, statebuilding and governance and the role of aid therein, democracy and democratization, and sub-Saharan African politics.