SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The last few decades have seen dramatic changes in development finance. These have been accompanied by a redefinition of the purpose of development cooperation. A strong belief in the potential of private flows to finance development has come to prevail and public or official flows have become increasingly deployed in support of private flows as the newly projected main source of development finance. This has specific implications regarding aid instruments, in particular through ‘blending’ and the attempt to rely increasingly on public-private partnerships. As aid and development cooperation become deployed increasingly to mobilize private finance, the core role of public finance for public goods is downplayed. This trend has accelerated as a result of the GFC with its specific implications for fiscal space to support ODA in developed economies. This Working Paper 140 is part of Deliverable D606 on the Financial Implications of the New Relationship between the EU and the Developing World.