Deputy Prime Minister Global Partnerships Conference speech: Shifting the power - modern partnerships in practice

The Deputy Prime Minister addressed the Global Partnerships Conference on the future of international development, how it should drive shared growth and prosperity and be built on mutual respect.

First, let me thank the fantastic panellists that we've just heard speak so powerfully over the past few hours on this important issue: Shifting the Power. 

Whether on the border of Sudan as Foreign Secretary, visiting Sri Lanka as Deputy Prime Minister or welcoming Global South leaders to the UK from across the world what's clear is that the 1997 style approach to international development no longer works.  

Global South partners feel the overlapping crises, the shocks and the creaking of the system the hardest.  

We are living through a “Great Remaking”. In a changing international order, many powers are shaping this multipolar age, and so our status quo is not fit for purpose.  

We are changing our approach. Moving from the paternalism of the past to the partnerships of the future and championing the reforms required across the system.  

Making it fairer, more impactful and unblocking the finance needed to turbocharge development and climate action. 

It's fantastic to see that under my dear colleague Yvette Cooper and the wonderful Baroness Chapman this work has only grown in importance – look at us all here today. But as we've just heard, there is much more we must do together. 

Why shifting power matters 

As an international community, too often we have failed in our primary task: to work in genuine partnership. Not focussed on handouts. But on shared growth. 

We know that when those most greatly affected shape the solutions, decisions carry greater legitimacy, outcomes endure, and our collective impact is stronger. 

As the Foreign Secretary outlined earlier, we have a responsibility to make this right, but also an interest in doing so.  

As Deputy Prime Minister, I know all too well that growth, tackling the climate crisis, and the health of our citizens cannot be separated from international shocks and crises. 

Because as we've seen all too clearly in recent years, instabilities and crises across the world have a direct impact on us here at home. From the effects of COVID-19, which continue of course to reverberate, to the floods and extreme weather that damage our towns and cities, all of it costing billions of pounds. To the impacts of global economic shocks on the cost of living. If we are to shift course, we must see a genuine shift in approach; and a genuine shift in power. 

Principles for modern partnerships 

We've heard loud and clear over these two plenary sessions a rallying cry for a central organising principle: that countries' and communities' own aspirations, plans and priorities must be at the heart of development cooperation.  

What are the three key things we have heard we can collectively do to turn this principle into practice? 

Supporting country-led development 

First, we must work alongside partners as they set their own agendas, aligning our support and finance behind their aspirations for their own development.  

It means coordinating behind country platforms, where countries choose them, to align support with national priorities. 

It means co-creating, co-designing and co-deciding solutions as best and standard practice, where partners determine what, where and how development resources are used.  

That's why the UK wholeheartedly endorses the Call to Action to all development actors to accelerate support for locally led development, and we encourage you to join us. 

Taking a whole society approach 

Second, that we need to take a whole of society approach. From government to the private sector to philanthropy to civil society, including the most marginalised voices. To support the changes that countries and communities want to see. 

This Government has always believed in a feminist approach to international development and foreign policy. Women and girls – in all their diversity – and women's rights organisations as drivers of change and progress, essential to growth, peace and stability.  

That's why I commend the work of Yvette Cooper. With her leadership, the UK has made this a standalone foreign policy priority. 

Building self-sufficiency and economic resilience 

And finally, to deliver this, we must support partners in building self-sufficiency and fiscal resilience. 

We need to redouble our efforts to ensure countries can mobilise their own finance, spend well, borrow responsibly and manage shocks effectively, to build sustainable economies.  

Control over finances is control over sovereignty. 

This means tackling illicit finance and corruption. Which I see as one of the great progressive causes of our times.  

Illicit financial flows are estimated to total between 800 billion dollars and 2 trillion dollars every year, that's around 2–5% of global GDP.  

This is money that should be in the hands of citizens, ordinary people supporting their public services. 

Instead, it lines the pockets of kleptocrats, their cronies and funds their luxury homes in capitals like this one, here in London. 

Together we must move beyond an agenda simply focussed on transparency and end the era of impunity for those exploiting developing nations for their own ill-gotten gains. 

It also means mobilising more private capital and the City of London is a hub of green finance and we want it to become a hub of global development finance too.  

So we are working with senior leaders from across the investment community to address practical barriers to scaling investment in developing countries. 

This, to me, exemplifies a move towards building genuine partnerships, new coalitions that deliver growth and opportunity for citizens here and abroad. 

Reforming the international system 

But none of this will be enough if we don't also work together to change the global development system.  

You will have heard from many leaders and those championing reform initiatives over the course of today; and it is clear there are already some key areas of momentum. 

Greater Global South representation 

First, that we must address the injustice at the heart of the system for ensuring Global South voice, that's representative has influence and a meaningful seat at the table. 

Yvette Cooper set out earlier today how the UK is working in partnership to champion this shift across the system. Whether that's ensuring greater voice across the debt architecture through the new Borrowers' Platform, co-chairing the current World Bank Shareholding Review, reforming the UN Security Council to include permanent representation from the African continent, India, Germany, Brazil and Japan or ensuring the OECD DAC Reform Review keeps pace with the scale of the changes to the development partnership and finance landscape. We are proud to play our part.   

Building a more coordinated development system 

Second, it is clear that institutions and actors must work better as a system, to get behind the aspirations of countries and communities.  

Working together should be the starting point, systemic and not ad hoc. 

That means going further and faster on essential reforms to support genuine collaboration between development banks, climate funds, and other institutions. Bringing together finance, expertise, and implementation at scale.  

Climate and development 

Third, we must prioritise and protect the parts of the system that protect us. There is no development without climate action and no climate action without development. They are two sides of the same coin. 

At all levels of government, the UK remains relentlessly focused on addressing this defining global challenge. The transition to a resilient, nature positive, clean powered global economy is the growth opportunity of the 21st century.   

We will not succeed in tackling the climate and nature crisis, or delivering resilient, sustainable growth, without reforming the full development and climate ecosystem.   

We need a climate and nature finance architecture that works faster, smarter and more effectively. We need to mobilise more finance from all sources whilst delivering a step change in access to ensure funding reaches the poorest and most vulnerable and we need to ensure funding reaches communities on the ground and that marginalised groups are at the centre of decision making.  

This is proven to deliver stronger, more effective resilience – it needs to be at the core to shifting the power.  

That is why we have always supported the vision of Least Development Countries to get more finance and decision-making power flowing to locally led climate action and to communities on the front line. 

Looking ahead 

Finally, that we must look ahead to the system we need for the future, and define that future together: 

We as politicians, as leaders, must take greater responsibility to set out a common vision. 

To re-inspire hope that we can tackle the collective challenges we face, for the betterment of my citizens and yours. 

As we've heard today, there is much more to do on this agenda to deliver a true paradigm shift.  

But we are committed, as partners, as reformers, to stay the course. What do we know? 

We know that relationships grounded in old hierarchies no longer work and instead we need to base our relationships on mutual respect as equals. So how do we get there? 

We know there is more to do. But when I look around this room, I see people, governments and organisations that are committed to do the work to realise our ambitions.  

We are not all the same of course. We do not agree on everything. But together, we can build new coalitions which give us all a seat at the table. 

We must take the discussions of this week and turn them into concrete actions. It is about restoring confidence that cooperation can deliver. This is what shifting the power means in practice; more trust, more legitimacy, more impact. 

Thank you.

Watch the plenary sessions from the Global Partnerships Conference 2026 live on the FCDO YouTube channel.