Devex: Opinion: It’s time to change the way we think about development policy
Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean at the United Nations; Stefano Manservisi, director general of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development at the European Commission; and Mario Pezzini, director of the Development Centre at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and special adviser to the OECD secretary general on development

“…If we, as a global community, are serious now about ensuring prosperity for all through the universal and comprehensive 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, then we must close all remaining gaps. And this means changing the way we think about development policy. … For countries experiencing what we call ‘development in transition’ — moving from one income group to another — the opportunities and the challenges are enormous, including the prospect of reduced or no development financing and technical assistance. … New partnerships, more dialogue, better measurements, and more innovative tools will all be necessary for a sustained transition. They are at the heart of ensuring the right policies and approaches needed to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and to ensure lasting development results. Our priority now is to translate ‘development in transition’ into ‘development in action,’ which expands opportunities for all countries and people” (7/3).