As part of developing partnership relations [1] with the DAKSHIN Global South Centre of Excellence (India), on February 28, 2025, BISR analyst Yuri Yarmolinsky, head of the SCO and BRICS Research Center, took part in an online seminar organized by Indian partners on the topic: "Development Cooperation after USAID: Perspectives from the Global South." Another organizer of the event was the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST).
For reference.
DAKSHIN is a platform initiated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share best practices in the Global South in key areas such as healthcare, technology and agriculture.
The webinar generated considerable interest: it was attended by over 400 representatives from think tanks and other centres from India, China, South Africa, Germany and other countries.
The seminar participants tried analyse, in the form of discussion, the consequences of reducing development funding from USAID, as well as opportunities for maintaining mutually beneficial cooperation in the Global South.
It was emphasized that reducing the USAID budget will have a particular impact on short- and medium-term living conditions in low- and middle-income economies, given their recovery from the double shock of the pandemic and ongoing conflicts. The results of modeling such an impact on Africa have shown that 5.7 million more Africans will be in extreme poverty by 2026.
Funding cuts will increase pressure on political and economic elites in the Global South, as well as on civil society, especially the human rights sector, which may be faced with a question of survival.
The participants agreed that developing countries need to rethink international cooperation without or with less U.S. involvement and work to mobilize domestic resources.
Noting the increasing leadership role of India, the importance of a modern system of mutual assistance in the spirit of global public investment was emphasized.
It is necessary to continue working on reforming multilateralism in order to restore trust and continuity in global cooperation.
In general, it is summarized that the Global South should reconsider the concept of "aid" and think more about self-sufficiency.
[1] https://bisr.gov.by/provedyonnye-meropriyatiya/indiya-v-fokuse-ekspertnoy-diplomatii-bisi