Resetting the Global Development Agenda Beyond 2030: Localization, Empowerment, and Inclusive Pathways

Ten years ago, the global community committed to addressing climate change and advancing inclusion through the Sustainable Development Goals.

Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, coupled with subsequent political and economic shifts, has significantly strained that consensus. 2025 Michael Sherraden Lecture: Resetting the Global Development Agenda Beyond 2030.

As we approach 2030—a pivotal moment to renew global solidarity—we are called not only to take stock of the progress and shortcomings since 2015 but also to chart a forward-looking agenda for the decades ahead.

In this lecture, “Resetting the Global Development Agenda Beyond 2030: Localization, Empowerment, and Inclusive Pathways,” Arjan de Haan will examine the potential to deepen commitments to equity within a post-2030 development framework.

The analysis will focus on three interrelated dimensions:

• Mainstreaming empowerment—integrating gender and intersectionality more systematically across international development strategies.
• Localisation and ownership—assessing why progress has remained limited and identifying what is required to shift power meaningfully.
• Decolonisation in practice—exploring how efforts must be broadened and deepened to achieve genuine transformation, particularly under the pressure of contemporary global stressors.

By interrogating these dynamics, Dr de Haan will argue that the very challenges confronting multilateralism and global cooperation today can serve as leverage points for building more inclusive, resilient, and just international development pathways beyond 2030.

The lecture will be held Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 6:30-8 p.m., with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Learn more about the lecture and register for the event online.