About the lecture
This lecture will look at trends in the international development architecture since the introduction of the MDGs in the early 2000s, examining the ideologies, driving forces, and players shaping and reshaping international cooperation. It will point to two contradictory phenomena – on the one hand a strengthening of the "moral" side of development, as represented by the revitalised human rights discourse and processes, and on the other a hollowing out of the Millennium Declaration and the MDG agenda as a result of the interests of emerging bilateral donors and increasingly powerful international development foundations. These are dreams and nightmares that concern those of us "working in development" but, what matters more, impact directly on the citizens of the global South.
About the speaker
Gabriele Koehler is a development practitioner who worked at various UN agencies – ESCAP, UNCTAD, UNDP and UNICEF – from 1983 til 2010. She is currently an IDS Visiting Fellow in the Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, primarily looking into economic and social policy in South Asia, and at transformative notions of human development and human security. Her interests are seemingly eclectic – development strategies, international trade and investment, decent work, employment and social protection, social inclusion, and the history of the UN – but she feels this all connects.
This lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.