Development assistance

Abstract

Essentially a creation of the post-World War II era, development assistance has since experienced a series of rapid transformations. While the “donors’ club” initially consisted mostly of a small number of multilaterals and wealthy nations, today’s major players also include countries like Brazil and China as well as numerous non-state actors. This paper charts the history of development assistance as it evolved from a Cold War competition to a growth and poverty reduction enterprise. In the course of this evolution, the organizational structure of development cooperation has gone from an architecture to an ecosystem. The paper concludes with a discussion of three strategic questions of development assistance, noting the diversity of solutions devised over time. Homi Kharas Development Assistance Chapter 50 Page 2