Official Development Assistance in the Age of Deglobalization
Official development assistance has collapsed since 2023, both in Europe and in the United States. This decline has affected both developing and industrialized countries. Under fire in the Global North and South, the goals and methods of development assistance must be redefined if it is to adapt to an international landscape in which the principal actors—the United States, the European Union, China, the Arab countries—are adopting new stances.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the international community has built a remarkable structure to ensure shared prosperity. Financial relations between the Global South and the Global North, however vague these terms may be, have been structured around four pillars: trade, migration, official development assistance (ODA), and foreign direct investment (FDI). Increasingly sophisticated governance has provided a framework for these policies.
The results have been significant. Since 1990, extreme poverty has fallen from around 40% to 10% of the world's population, while mortality among children under five has more than halved. HIV has been brought under control and polio has been almost eradicated. The gross domestic product (GDP) of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has risen from $1.4 trillion to $6 trillion. Life expectancy at birth has increased by ten years since 2000. But the rest of the world has also benefited: between 2000 and 2023, the average GDP of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) grew by 2.3% per year. The average income of a Chinese citizen rose from $3,600 to $19,140, that of a Brazilian from $10,230 to $15,790, that of an Indian from $1,760 to $8,170, and that of a Russian from $9,090 to $29,990.
It should have been a celebration! The overall architecture evoked contributed to this. ODA, in particular, was seen as an important element in the growth of poor countries, a powerful instrument of redistribution, and a tool for global common causes (climate, health, etc.). Despite numerous academic debates on its effectiveness—which were ultimately positive—it seemed to be a model: clearly defined in nature; quantitative and qualitative objectives; global governance. The situation seemed well understood. In France, the programming law on international solidarity was passed unanimously in 2021. The latest Eurobarometer survey on the subject indicates that three out of four Europeans support development policy. The figures reflected this perception: in 2023, global ODA reached $240 billion, a spectacular increase since 2000. [...]
Jean-Michel Severino was Chief Executive Officer of the French Development Agency (AFD) from 2001 to 2010. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (Ferdi), a member of the French Academy of Technologies, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Investisseurs et Partenaires (I&P).
This article is only available in French and has been published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 91, No. 1, 2026.
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Official Development Assistance in the Age of Deglobalization
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