Development Cooperation & the Global Development Agenda
Navigating the realm of development cooperation and the global development agenda involves examining sustainable development goals (SDGs) and beyond, development cooperation (DC) effectiveness, unique development experiences, and the rise of South-South cooperation. This scope emphasizes international collaboration for inclusive and equitable global development.
Article
The Decentralization of Global Governance: Implications of the United Nations Relocation to Nairobi for Development Cooperation
Farouk Saleh
This paper analyzes the United Nations’ decision to relocate several major agency headquarters including UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women from New York to Nairobi by 2026, marking the most significant decentralization of global governance in decades. It examines the rationale for Nairobi’s selection including cost efficiency, existing UN presence, proximity to operations, and regional influence. The analysis explores expected benefits such as enhanced responsiveness, greater inclusivity, and stronger South–South cooperation alongside potential risks like overdependence, cost of living pressures, and infrastructure strain. Policy recommendations are offered for both Kenya and the UN to ensure the relocation achieves its goals, positioning Nairobi as a fully empowered hub for global development cooperation.
Photo: HANDOUT
White Paper:
Egyptian Youth Perspectives on Global Challenges
Abdelrahman Sakr & Menna Shaker
The Strategic Priorities Hub (SPH) is pleased to announce the submission of its White Paper, "Egyptian Youth Perspectives on Global Challenges," to the 2024 Summit of the Future by the United Nations. This paper addresses critical issues related to the digital economy and the future of work, with a focus on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must adapt to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. Through this engagement, SPH contributed to global discussions on digital policy, offering insights on how Egypt and other global south countries can align their digital strategies with emerging global trends.
Article:
Beyond the Zero-Sum Game: Why a Feminist Foreign Policy is the Constructivist Shift We Need
By Samira Rashwan - Founder and Managing Director, The Strategic Priorities Hub
This article examines Feminist Foreign Policy as a necessary transformation in how international relations are understood and practiced at a time when the multilateral system is increasingly strained by overlapping crises, including armed conflict, economic inequality, climate breakdown, and the erosion of international norms.
The article critiques the traditional realist paradigm that frames global politics as a zero-sum game, where one state’s gain is perceived as another’s loss, reinforcing militarization, competition, and domination. In contrast, it presents constructivism as an alternative lens, emphasizing that the rules of international politics are not fixed or inevitable, but socially constructed through ideas, norms, identities, and human choices.
It further argues that Feminist Foreign Policy is not limited to “women’s issues,” but offers a comprehensive framework for redistributing power, challenging systems of oppression, ending impunity, and integrating climate, economic, humanitarian, and gender justice into the heart of foreign policy.