The Effective Development Cooperation Summit that was held in Geneva from December 12-14. (Source: GPEDC)

Jointly held by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) and the host country of Switzerland, the hybrid summit drew the attendance of Swiss President Ignazio Cassis, Moldova's President Maia Sandu and Rwanda's President Paul Kamage, along with leaders of many international organisations, policymakers, lawmakers and scholars.

Taking place at the midpoint of Agenda 2030, the summit put a spotlight on how better cooperation strengthens trust and transforms the way stakeholders work together.

Participants held that development cooperation must be able to assist countries in their transition to a sustainable and prosperous future, especially in terms of green energy and accessibility, creating resilient food systems and leveraging digital advances for the benefit of all. At the same time, effective collaboration should be results-oriented and inclusive of all types of partnerships, transparent and accountable, while building the trust necessary for effective partnerships and improved results in the engaged countries.

Leaders and stakeholders also emphasised the need to reform the multilateral financial structure while addressing the urgent needs of countries in implementing the SDGs.

UN Under-Secretary-General for SDGs promotion Amina J. Mohammed said that multilateral development organisations must promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs taking into account local realities.

The summit concluded with a statement highlighting the important roles and responsibilities of national leaders in advancing the 2030 Agenda. It also reaffirmed the need for capacity building at the national level, as well as continuous active and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders on development priorities and strategies, and enhanced mutual trust and accountability among development actors through better and more accessible data.

Along with official activities, Mai and her counterparts from ASEAN countries also held a meeting on the summit's sidelines, which was also attended by representatives from a number of international organisations. Participants discussed measures to promote cooperation between international organisations and ASEAN countries as well as among ASEAN members on development issues such as response to natural disasters, epidemics, humanitarian, ODA/FDI investment attraction, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Established in 2011, the GPEDC aims to optimise the effectiveness of all forms of development cooperation for the common benefit of people, the Earth, prosperity and peace.