Reimagining international development: a call for justice-led approaches

As we move towards the UN Summit for the Future on September 24th and we enter the final phase of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), and with a new government now in post in the UK, the world stands at a pivotal moment for reshaping global development.

The recognition of the limitations within the existing ‘aid and development’ systems has sparked a movement toward exploring new, more equitable frameworks.

We are facing unprecedented challenges from climate change, rising conflicts, health crises that deepen inequalities that disproportionately impact the poorest populations. Addressing these crises requires a fundamental shift in how global development is approached by prioritising equity, human rights, and sustainability.

The UN Summit for the Future presents an opportunity for critical change. It provides a unique moment to reform global governance structures, ensuring that the voices of marginalised communities are heard, and that policies do not simply reinforce the status quo, but actively work to reduce inequalities.

By centring justice, we can build a future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable for all.

Future Dialogues

Bond’s Future Innovation cards, launched last year, are one such tool that has been helping our members and individuals think about what an alternative future for international development could look like, as well as what the UK’s role in this system could be. Among the ideas gaining traction is the powerful call for reparations, which has emerged as a transformative approach with justice at its core.

Through Bond’s ongoing anti-racism and decolonisation work, we explored this innovation further, asking critical questions about how we can move this from concept to reality.

The principle behind this is simple: justice. Justice for communities and countries who have endured continuous historical injustices, many of which still shape global power dynamics today. This exploration sparked a broader question: What would global development look like if justice was embedded into its fabric at every level, and what would the UK’s role in that could look like?

Therefore, in May 2024, Bond convened a workshop with experts from justice-focused, decolonisation and anti-racism spaces to consider a justice-led approach to global development.

Why justice-led approaches?

Global development has been marked by historical injustices, such as colonialism and economic exploitation, which have left lasting legacies of inequality. Reforming multilateral agencies is a step toward addressing these past wrongs by promoting policies that prioritise social and economic justice. This could involve mechanisms for reparations, fair trade, and the redistribution of resources to empower historically disadvantaged regions.

For decades, the global economy has funnelled wealth into high-income countries while exploiting labour and resources from marginalised communities in low- and middle-income countries. This unjust structure has deepened inequalities, making it harder for those affected by colonialism, climate change, and economic exploitation to recover and thrive.

A justice-led approach seeks to disrupt this cycle. It calls for the restructuring of global economic systems to ensure that wealth is equitably distributed, and that countries and communities that have seen and experienced exploitation are not only compensated but also empowered. This goes beyond traditional aid models and places an emphasis on reparations, fair trade practices, and an overhaul of tax regimes that currently benefit multinational corporations at the expense of local economies.

This approach has been gaining traction, with the Green Party of England and Wales recently putting forth a motion advocating for reparative justice, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies that address the legacy of colonialism and exploitation. Similarly, the Stop the Maangamizi Campaign emphasises the importance of reparations for the African diaspora, calling for systemic changes that acknowledge and address historical injustices.

How do we get there?

Reform is at the heart of this change. A justice-led approach seeks to redress inequalities by reforming tax regimes, addressing trade injustices, and ensuring that multinational corporations pay their fair share in the countries where their profits are made. It also advocates for reform of the multilateral system, where we see agencies like the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund continue to reflect the power dynamics of an earlier era.

The approach also requires that decisions impacting low and middle-income countries are made with the active participation of affected communities.

Current multilateral systems often exclude or background the voices of those most affected by development policies. Reforms should aim to create inclusive platforms where all stakeholders can meaningfully contribute to shaping global policies and shift the focus toward development that is both sustainable and equitable, while addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. This requires a transformation of global financial systems, trade policies, and development assistance to align with the principles of justice and sustainability.

For example, the Amazon Rainforest, primarily located in Brazil, is crucial for global climate stability. However, development policies driven by economic interests, such as deforestation for agriculture and mining, have severely threatened the environment and Indigenous communities who depend on the forest. Multilateral agencies, such as the World Bank, have funded projects that contribute to environmental degradation and social displacement.

A justice-led approach would prioritise the rights of Indigenous peoples and the protection of vital ecosystems. The United Nations’ REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiative has sought to involve Indigenous communities in climate action, ensuring that they benefit from conservation efforts.

However, for such programs to be effective and just, reforms are needed to ensure genuine participation and the fair distribution of resources.

Join the Conversation

As we release our new report, Justice-Led Approaches to Global Development, we encourage you to engage with these ideas and consider how they could reshape your organisations approach to development. Here’s how you can contribute to this critical conversation:

• Engage: Share your perspectives on implementing justice-led approaches in your work. How can these principles transform your advocacy strategies and impact and influence of others?
• Collaborate: Connect with other organisations and stakeholders to explore practical steps for integrating justice-based and systemic reforms
• Act: Participate or organise workshops and discussions that explore and promote justice-led approaches. This includes adopting new policies and advocacy strategies

We’re excited to also release a detailed discussion paper by economist Priya Lukka, who specialises in repair-based approaches. Her paper dives deeper into these ideas, encouraging critical reflection on how they can be brought to life.

In addition to this, we’re also sharing a recording designed to help organisations and individuals envision a world rooted in justice. This is the same exercise we used with participants during the Justice-led workshop in May.