The Palgrave Handbook of Development Cooperation for Achieving the 2030 Agenda

Table of Contents

1. Frontmatter

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2. Chapter 1. Development Cooperation in the Context of Contested Global Governance

   • Open Access

   Sachin Chaturvedi, Heiner Janus, Stephan Klingebiel, Li Xiaoyun, André de Mello e Souza, Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Dorothea Wehrmann

   Abstract

   The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has successfully set a normative framework for global cooperation, including development cooperation. Yet, the implementation of this agenda is characterised by power struggles and unresolved contestations. Hence, it is uncertain whether the 2030 Agenda will be achieved. Therefore, a key question is how different narratives and norms in development cooperation can be reconciled to achieve the 2030 Agenda. As a response and guiding framework, this chapter explores the concept of “contested cooperation”, drawing on research on contested global governance and contested multilateralism. Applying this conceptual perspective not only yields theoretical insights but also helps in better understanding the practical challenges that development actors face in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

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3. Global Cooperation for Achieving the SDGs

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Chapter 2. Maximising Goal Coherence in Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development? Polycentricity and Coordination in Governance

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      Sander Chan, Gabriela Iacobuta, Ramona Hägele

      Abstract

      This chapter argues that most efforts to mobilise non-state and subnational actor engagement so far has insufficiently contributed to goal coherence—the balanced implementation of internationally agreed goals. Despite the increased level of attention being given to the polycentric nature of sustainable development and climate governance—especially the role of non-state and subnational actors—the predominant focus of both policy-makers and researchers has been on filling functional gaps, for example closing the global mitigation gap, or financing gaps. As a result, voluntariness and self-organisation in polycentric governance could increase the level of incoherence. Insights on emerging polycentric structures should be combined with tools that map (goal) coherence. The combination of these fields of knowledge could inform supportive policies, for instance in development cooperation to ensure greater coherence in implementing sustainable development priorities.

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   3. Chapter 3. Development Finance and the 2030 Goals

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      Emma Mawdsley

      Abstract

      In their attempt to stimulate an exponential financing rise of “billions to trillions”, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda are helping to normalise and promote a radical shift in development finance. A growing concern is that private finance is not forthcoming, calling into question the “billions to trillions” model. In this chapter, however, I focus on the risks of “successfully” moving in this direction. The mainstream bilateral and multilateral community appear too sanguine, and even naïve, about the financial sector. Any analysis of the SDGs must be attentive to the possibilities and risks of the emerging development finance regime that they are helping to legitimate.¹

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   4. Chapter 4. Transnational Science Cooperation for Sustainable Development

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      Anna Schwachula

      Abstract

      With the 2030 Agenda, the development paradigm has shifted towards global sustainable development, but modes of cooperation between actors in the Global North and South still cling to traditional patterns of cooperation, reproducing antiquated knowledge hierarchies. Departing from technical cooperation, transnational research cooperation may be a more equitable mode of cooperation with the potential of developing innovative solutions for sustainable development. Yet, its potential is not fully realised. Science policies on the national level and global governance mechanisms need to set a beneficial framework, ensuring that expectations of partnerships and outcomes for global sustainable development can be met. The current incoherence of national science and development cooperation policies may be aggravated by existing gaps in global governance mechanisms in view of sustainability-oriented transnational research cooperation.

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4. Development Cooperation: Narratives and Norms

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Chapter 5. An Evolving Shared Concept of Development Cooperation: Perspectives on the 2030 Agenda

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      Milindo Chakrabarti, Sachin Chaturvedi

      Abstract

      With a collective commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the worlds of development cooperation, in general, and development finance, in particular, are keenly looking for new and innovative sources of financing for effective and timely outcomes. This chapter considers three successful efforts at providing global public goods for the goal of achieving the 2030 Agenda that operationalise development cooperation in a more “shared” manner, thereby opening up space for engagement by multiple stakeholders in a less hierarchical manner. It identifies three common ingredients that make meaningful contributions to the success of these efforts: access to resources, access to participatory institutions, and ensuring multi-stakeholder participation.

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   3. Chapter 6. The Globalisation of Foreign Aid: Global Influences and the Diffusion of Aid Priorities

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      Liam Swiss

      Abstract

      This chapter explains why bilateral aid donors often look and act alike, despite distinct national interests and histories—a phenomenon previously identified as “the globalisation of foreign aid”. It identifies processes that drive the similarity of aid actors and the diffusion of aid priorities, contributing to the globalisation of aid. The chapter reflects upon: (1) how the isomorphism of aid institutions and the homogenisation of aid policy represent the effects of these common processes of globalisation; (2) the implications of the globalisation of aid on the 2030 Agenda; and (3) how the globalisation of aid contributes to the “contested cooperation” framework woven through this volume.

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   4. Chapter 7. The Untapped Functions of International Cooperation in the Age of Sustainable Development

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      Adolf Kloke-Lesch

      Abstract

      Universality is one of the key novel characteristics of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By applying a functional approach to external policies, this chapter challenges traditional notions of development cooperation and shows that the agenda’s means of implementation as well as their application are lopsided towards so-called developing countries. However, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals critically depends on the agenda’s implementation also within the so-called developed countries as well as between them. Therefore, the function of development cooperation to shape conditions within other countries by using cooperative and promotional instruments should be exerted also vis-à-vis “developed countries”. International cooperation for sustainable development needs to become universal, multimodal, mutual, and transformative if it wants to deliver change, not aid.

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   5. Chapter 8. The Difficulties of Diffusing the 2030 Agenda: Situated Norm Engagement and Development Organisations

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      Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Adam Fejerskov

      Abstract

      The adoption of the 2030 Agenda was only the end of the beginning. To realise the goals, the challenge that lies ahead—prompted by its universal nature—is to implement the agenda’s rapid diffusion into national policies and reforms needed all over the world. This is no easy task. The historical legacies of global normative agreements have taught us that global norms rarely bring about the forms of change that we expect them to. How can we explain these apparent challenges of spreading global norms across the world? We argue that the diffusion of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals is not only challenged because of contemporary political circumstances, but also because of the fundamental situated nature of how actors engage with global norms.

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   6. Chapter 9. Diffusion, Fusion, and Confusion: Development Cooperation in a Multiplex World Order

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      Paulo Esteves, Stephan Klingebiel

      Abstract

      Development cooperation (DC) is shaped by norms. We aim at filling a gap of research on DC by using the academic debates in international relations on norms. Contrary to interpretations that consider developed countries as norm-makers and developing countries as norm-takers, our analysis provides evidence that—and highlights how—Southern agents have influenced the processes of norm-setting and norm-diffusion for DC. The OECD was the dominant norms “entrepreneur” for a long period of time; more recently, developing countries have played a significant role in setting DC norms. We identify the diverging norms for official development assistance and South-South cooperation and the interrelationship between both norm systems. Thus, norm-making, norm-taking, and norm-diffusion of two competing norm clusters are key terms of the contribution.

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   7. Chapter 10. Conceptualising Ideational Convergence of China and OECD Donors: Coalition Magnets in Development Cooperation

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      Heiner Janus, Tang Lixia

      Abstract

      This chapter analyses the development discourse on foreign aid to explore areas of convergence between the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors and Chinese development cooperation. We apply the concept of “coalition magnets”—the capacity of an idea to appeal to a diverse set of individuals and groups, and to be used strategically by policy entrepreneurs to frame interests, mobilise support, and build coalitions. Three coalition magnets are identified: mutual benefit, development results, and the 2030 Agenda. The chapter finds that coalition magnets can be used to influence political change and concludes that applying a discursive approach provides a new conceptual opportunity for fostering closer engagement between OECD-DAC and Chinese development cooperation actors.

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5. Measurements of Development Cooperation: Theories and Frameworks

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Chapter 11. Measuring Development Cooperation and the Quality of Aid

      • Open Access

      Ian Mitchell

      Abstract

      Countries and governments are divided on the fora and mechanisms for agreeing on effective development cooperation. But progress can be made on measuring what countries are doing in different areas of cooperation. This chapter looks at how we can assess the quality of development cooperation. It sets out a framework for measuring development cooperation across three areas: development finance; country policies affecting the exchange of goods, people, ideas, and capital; and global public goods. It considers the availability of measures against that framework and concludes on how these measures can be developed, or where new measures are needed, to provide a holistic assessment of development cooperation.

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   3. Chapter 12. Interest-Based Development Cooperation: Moving Providers from Parochial Convergence to Principled Collaboration

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      Nilima Gulrajani, Rachael Calleja

      Abstract

      The motives for providing development assistance change according to historical and political trajectories but always combine varying degrees of altruism and selfishness. Currently, we are witnessing disruptive change in development cooperation as political leaders forward an increasingly self-regarding rationale for international assistance. In an empirical analysis of Northern donors’ narratives and aid allocation strategies, we define the meaning of the “national interest” in development cooperation and distinguish its principled and parochial formats. Our empirical analysis suggests Northern donors continue to allocate based on principled norms, though there is a noticeable deterioration in their public spiritedness as they simultaneously seek short-term domestic benefits from overseas giving. Calls for a principled national interest narrative may, however, enable normative collaboration across Northern and Southern actors.

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   4. Chapter 13. Monitoring and Evaluation in South-South Cooperation: The Case of CPEC in Pakistan

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      Murad Ali

      Abstract

      Pakistan is a key country in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) where the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is under implementation. An investment model of financing through loans, grants and private investments, CPEC is an example of South-South cooperation (SSC) having a number of benefits for both countries. Aimed at developing energy, industry, and communication infrastructure, the corridor initially valued at  $46 billion but is now worth $62 billion. CPEC is expected to contribute significantly to socio-economic development and regional connectivity and trade. The main research question is, while implementing projects in Pakistan, to what extent China adheres to its avowed principles comprising features such as mutual respect, non-conditionality, equality, building local capacity and addressing actual needs of partner countries. Based mainly on the analysis of primary data collected during fieldwork in Pakistan, this research explores the extent to which the official narrative influences the actual practice of China’s development cooperation on the ground. To critically examine CPEC, this chapter uses a monitoring and evaluation framework developed by the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST), which is dedicated to generating systematic and clearly comparable knowledge on SSC (Besharati et al. 2017). The findings illustrate that, as per the five broad dimensions of the SSC framework, the China–Pakistan partnership under CPEC has performed well in the four areas of inclusive national ownership, horizontality, self-reliance and sustainability, and development effectiveness, but it has lagged in accountability and transparency.

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   5. Chapter 14. The Implementation of the SDGs: The Feasibility of Using the GPEDC Monitoring Framework

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      Debapriya Bhattacharya, Victoria Gonsior, Hannes Öhler

      Abstract

      Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires significant behavioural changes from a variety of actors, including actors in development cooperation. Within this context, this chapter discusses important political as well as technical factors that influence the contribution of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) and its monitoring framework to the implementation of the SDGs. These are, among other things, the complementarity of the GPEDC monitoring framework to the SDGs; the limited enthusiasm of development partners from the Global South, in particular China and India; the limited attention paid to the platform in general and the monitoring framework in particular by member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); as well as the missing interpretative evaluations and follow-up processes in the aftermath of the respective monitoring rounds.

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   6. Chapter 15. Counting the Invisible: The Challenges and Opportunities of the SDG Indicator Framework for Statistical Capacity Development

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      Rolando Avendano, Johannes Jütting, Manuel Kuhm

      Abstract

      Rolando Avendano (Asian Development Bank), Johannes Jütting, and Manuel Kuhm (PARIS21) focus on the challenges and opportunities of the SDG indicator framework. They analyse three core problems associated with the data demands of the framework: the overburdening of national statistical systems, the increasing number of coordination failures between different actors of the data ecosystem, and a persistent lack of funding for statistical modernisation. The authors argue that the alignment of global requirements with national priorities; new forms of inclusive cooperation fostering trust, mutual learning, and accountability; and a global financing facility for development data are possible solutions to overcome key challenges of tracking progress towards the 2030 Agenda. The chapter concludes with an outlook on the role of data in the future of development cooperation.

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