The world is off track in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and is already backsliding on several of the goals. As the 2030 deadline approaches, the focus shifts from acceleration within the current model to a more realistic assessment of what comes next.

The baseline agreements behind the 2030 agenda – stable growth, predictable capital flows, and a rights-focused cooperative global order – have fundamentally shifted. Governments now face tighter fiscal constraints, rising debt and growing geopolitical fragmentation, while the financing model underpinning the SDGs is weakening. Traditional donors are scaling back official development assistance (ODA), and private capital is not flowing at the scale or to the geographies where it is most needed. 

This session looks ahead to what a credible post-2030 approach could require in practice. It focuses on what a shift from aid to development means on the ground: moving from externally driven projects to nationally anchored strategies, from fragmented financing to investment-led growth, and from dependency to local capacity and value creation. 

The discussion will focus on concrete entry points for cooperation, including providing development finance through public development banks, resilience and insurance mechanisms, and investment frameworks that support sustainable growth. The emphasis is on implementation, thinking about how to translate these areas into coordinated action and about how multilateral platforms such as the G7, G20 and BRICS can still play a role where alignment is possible.