Our conference is taking place against a backdrop of considerable economic and political turmoil and increasing uncertainty. Wars in the Middle East, Ukraine, the Sudan, and in other African countries; a new arms race (in both nuclear and conventional arms); escalating trade wars; deep cuts in foreign aid and mounting threats to international cooperation: a world of polycrisis confronts us in the years ahead. The SDGs and Agenda 2030 are far off-track. On climate action, too, it appears unlikely that we will reach climate sustainability targets.
Faced by such an inhospitable global outlook, the conference will discuss actions that could help facilitate opportunities for economic and social progress, particularly in developing countries. It will seek to address the following questions:
1. Did globalization go too far, making the world vulnerable to the breakdown in international trade that erupted in 2025?
2. Are there opportunities as well as threats from new technologies such as AI that would support sustainable and equitable development?
3. Are there new or innovative sources of financing to replace shrinking ODA and other official or private flows?
4. How can Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals be brought on-track?
The conference will generate key messages and recommendations that the Group of 78 will communicate to policy makers in Canada and will use for wider advocacy and dialogue at home and abroad.
We invite you to join us on October 10, 2025 in Room FSS4007 at the University of Ottawa for a full day of discussion and networking with others interested in finding new ways to finance socially and economically-just development. Our Program is available using the button at the top of this screen.
Information regarding the Program, Registration and our Speakers will be available soon.