Under the context of heightened global security threats and the rules based international order eroding, international development is facing a pivotal moment – to give way or reframe itself under new terms.
Watching the OECD’s ‘The Role of Development in an intensifying security landscape’ online session as part of their wider ‘The Future of Development Cooperation Conference’ on Monday revealed many insights on the future of international development.
International panellists and representatives in attendance all agreed that the current paradigm, that states must either choose to fund development or fund security, is false and damaging to both issues.
The UK cutting foreign aid to directly fund defence budgets is a striking example of this thinking that was raised during the session. However, this does not account for the fact that these two concepts are very much interlinked. Security involves much more than traditional physical threats. It encompasses economies, health & food, cyber threats, the climate and much more. Allowing one to fall by the wayside can have knock on effects on the others.
Berlin Kafoa, Director of the Public Health Division of the Pacific Community provided a strong example of this link in the Pacific islands, where transnational crime has been identified as having a large impact on health security. Drug trafficking routes through the islands have led to spikes in HIV cases, mainly through needle sharing. In a region with many small island nations, an individualistic approach can be very limiting. The Pacific Community have outlined policy recommendations this month involving a 2027 Pacific Islands Forum-led regional summit to prepare a unified response and aim to build “coordinated leadership across health, security, civil society and traditional governance structures” (Thomson & Comolli, 2026). By looking at the bigger picture of interconnected issues, only then can the international community tackle these issues most effectively. Security, in isolation, is a sure way have minimal impact, poor value for money and lose sight of the ultimate goal of ODA, to improve livelihoods.
What we are seeing in Ukraine is great case study for the future of development, using innovative approaches. Despite global declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA), “Ukraine received USD 44.9 billion [in 2025], an 18.7% increase over 2024 and the largest volume of net ODA to any single recipient in any year on record.” (OECD, 2026). Deputy Minister of Finance, Olga Zykova highlighted digital reconstruction and anti-corruption development reforms in particular at the conference.
In Digital reconstruction, GiZ has ran several projects that encourage the use of digital processing tools such as 3D printing or the establishment of a new digital registry platform, Diia.Engine, to speed up the process for creating new digital services.
In terms of anti-corruption, since 2021 at least 19 different international projects have been set up to tackle a wide range of areas of intervention, including setting up a G7 Anti-Corruption Task Force, specialised anti-corruption bodies and instruments, reforms in the judicial and prosecution systems, and transparency in public procurement. Corruption is a real challenge in conflict zones, so given the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the advancements it has made are commendable.
At TAG, we run a wide variety of projects that acknowledge this wider understanding and we strive to innovate in all areas of:
- Stronger institutional coordination
- Local capacity building and skills
- Community engagement and relationship building
- Enhanced resilience against evolving threats
Our Peace & Stability Mozambique Programme is a great example of this. The 3-year, UK government led programme, has driven international investment, strengthened trust and collaboration between communities and security services, and engaged with the judiciary on human rights compliance in order to fulfil a well-rounded approach that aims address multiple levels of security concerns in Mozambique.
The development sphere must do more to showcase to the public that without development, security cannot be maintained. We do need to evolve the way in which we provide development and can use Mozambique, Ukraine and others as examples of success. We cannot dwell on development budget cuts and instead should focus on developing innovative ways to fund development and promote the benefits of it.
References:
OECD. (2026). A historic decline in foreign aid: Preliminary 2025 ODA data. [online] Available at: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/insights/data-explainers/2026/04/a-historic-decline-in-foreign-aid-preliminary-2025-oda-data.html.
Thomson, N. & Comolli, V. (2026). Turning the tide together. [online] Pacific Security College. Available at: https://pacificsecurity.net/policy-paper/turning-the-tide-together/.