The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), in partnership with ODI Global, is hosting a webinar to present and discuss the findings of the groundbreaking report, ‘Reforming multilateral development banks: Perspectives from client countries’.
The webinar will bring together client country representatives, shareholders, MDB staff, and policy-oriented think tanks from the African region and beyond to reflect on the results of an extensive online survey and country case studies evaluating MDB performance. By focusing on the experiences of African borrowers, this session aims to amplify client country voices within the MDB reform debate, complementing current shareholder- and management-led discussions.
This dialogue will also help inform priority areas for action for upcoming G20 deliberations under the UK Presidency. Specifically, participants will debate how to boost MDB collaboration, scale up efforts on project preparation, and streamline operational support to clients. Additionally, the session will initiate a critical discussion on reforming the knowledge and technical assistance functions of MDBs and strengthen conversation on how they partner with local African institutions, think tanks, and academia.
About the Study
This report draws on nearly 650 government and MDB officials across 125 countries and 250 in-depth interviews in 12 countries. It arrives at a moment of significantly reduced aid budgets, escalating financing needs, rising sovereign debt, geopolitical tensions and a fragmented development finance landscape. Since the first MDB client survey in 2021, successive G20 presidencies and MDB shareholders have launched multiple reform initiatives. This study takes stock of their effects – from the perspective of the countries these institutions exist to serve. The analysis covers financing, policy advice, technical assistance, development effectiveness, inter-MDB coordination, project pipeline quality and project-cycle speed.
We look forward to your participation.
