A review of the roles and activities of new development partners

This report presents an overview of the diverse roles and activities of new sovereign development partners as providers of development assistance. It was prepared as a background study to the international conference on 'New Partnerships in Global Development Finance,' hosted by the Russian Federation with support from the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on February 17-18, 2010. While it is difficult to categorize which countries count as 'new development partners,' and the paper outlines methodological challenges, there has been a substantial increase in the number and engagement of countries providing various types of development assistance outside traditional Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members. Their principles and approaches vary. Assessing their aid volumes is challenging due to lack of systematic reporting. Aid volumes from these new sources are estimated at around $12 to $15 billion in 2008, equivalent to 10-12 per cent of official development assistance (ODA) provided by traditional DAC donors. The paper includes detailed figures on new development partners' assistance channelled through the World Bank (International Development Association (IDA) and trust funds). It shows that contributions to IDA from new development partners have been increasing rapidly, albeit from a small base. The increased engagement of development partners brings both opportunities and challenges. Suggestions are put forward in the report on how to make best use of the new dynamic in development assistance to enhance development results on the ground.