Istanbul: The Istanbul Development Dialogues commenced on Tuesday in the Turkish metropolis, gathering global policymakers, business leaders, and development experts for two days of intensive discussions on the future of sustainable growth.
According to Anadolu Agency, the annual forum, organized by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Turkey's Foreign Ministry, has solidified its position as one of the region's key platforms for shaping development policy since its inception a decade ago.
This year's event, themed 'Shaping Development Futures,' also marked the Turkey launch of the 2025 Human Development Report and included a dialogue on development trends across Europe and Central Asia. The opening speakers featured Turkey's Deputy Trade Minister Mustafa Tuzcu, UNDP Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu, senior Foreign Ministry official Ambassador Korhan Karakoc, and TIKA Vice President Rahman Nurdun.
The forum comes at a critical time as a study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, released on Monday, highlights significant reductions in foreign aid from the US and key European nations. The study warns that these cuts could result in 22.6 million preventable deaths in developing countries by 2030, including 5.4 million children under 5. This marks the first major aid drop in nearly 30 years from donors like Britain, Germany, France, and the US.
In light of these challenges, the inaugural panel, 'Making Development Cooperation Fit for the Future,' delved into the escalating pressures on the global development system. Joanna Lalak, deputy director at Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed concern over the ongoing erosion of the multilateral system. She emphasized Poland's commitment to sustaining-and even increasing-its global assistance despite economic pressures and called for UN reforms to enhance efficiency and presence.
Yerzhan Nesibkulov from Kazakhstan's Ministry of National Economy provided insights into Central Asia's development priorities and collaborative efforts with neighboring countries. Meanwhile, Alexei Jones from the European Centre for Development Policy Management highlighted significant reductions in traditional development contributions from major donors, describing it as a fiscal strain on global development financing.
Nikica Mojsoska-Blazevski, head of the Macedonian think-and-do tank Macedonia 2025, cautioned against the indiscriminate replication of development models without considering cultural contexts, warning that such approaches often fail when they disregard local realities.
Nidhi Gulati, a sustainability and social-impact strategist, stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration. Additionally, Sahba Sobhani, Director of UNDP's Istanbul International Private Sector Center, cited Turkey as a notable example of integrating the private sector into development processes, highlighting the role of institutions like TIKA.
Throughout the day, other sessions explored regional human development trends, the role of AI in inclusive growth, digital solutions for sustainability, and partnerships aimed at resilience and recovery.