Society for International Development

Society for International Development
Name	Society for International Development
Founded	1957
Headquarters	Rome, Milan
Type	Non-governmental organization
Focus	International development, policy advocacy, capacity building

Contents

Society for International Development is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1957 that promotes dialogue among practitioners, policymakers, and scholars involved in international development. It convenes networks linking individuals from institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Commission, and African Development Bank. The organization engages actors from capitals including Washington, D.C., Brussels, Rome, New York City, and Geneva to influence debates that involve stakeholders like Oxfam International, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, CARE International, and Save the Children.

History

The organization emerged in the context of post-World War II reconstruction and decolonization debates involving figures associated with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, Marshall Plan, OEEC, Latin American Development Bank, and influential conferences such as the Bretton Woods Conference and the Bandung Conference. Early activity intersected with institutions like the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labour Organization, World Health Organization, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Throughout the Cold War era the society engaged experts from Harvard University, London School of Economics, Columbia University, and Princeton University who debated policies linked to Kennedy administration initiatives, Truman Doctrine legacies, and Non-Aligned Movement priorities. In the 1990s it expanded ties to multilateral processes including the Rio Earth Summit, World Conference on Women, and Millennium Summit while interacting with development banks such as the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

The stated mission aligns with agendas advanced at gatherings like the United Nations General Assembly, G20 Summit, UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, and World Social Forum. Its structure reflects influences from networks exemplified by Club of Rome, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, International Crisis Group, and Smithsonian Institution. The organization maintains offices and programmatic links in cities with major institutions including Istanbul, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, and Beijing. It partners with bilateral agencies such as USAID, DFID, Agence Française de Développement, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit to operationalize projects mirroring priorities set at forums like the OECD Development Assistance Committee and the High-Level Panel on Financing for Development.

Governance features a board model comparable to boards at Amnesty International, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and Médecins Sans Frontières, incorporating leadership drawn from professionals who have served in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, UNICEF, UNHCR, and national ministries such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil), and Ministry of Development (South Africa). Membership includes practitioners from institutions like Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Asian Development Bank Institute, African Union Commission, and private sector partners including Microsoft, Unilever, and Citigroup.

Regional chapters mirror configurations found in African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Union, Mercosur, and Pacific Islands Forum. Notable chapters have engaged with municipal authorities in Mumbai, Lagos, Cairo, Manila, and Mexico City and have collaborated with networks such as Global Partnership for Education, Scaling Up Nutrition, Clean Cooking Alliance, and Cities Alliance to localize global agendas forged at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and the Global Refugee Forum.

The society produces policy briefs, journals, and conference proceedings analogous to outputs from World Development, Development and Change, Journal of International Development, and Third World Quarterly. Annual and regional conferences convene speakers from venues such as the United Nations Headquarters, European Parliament, Palais des Nations, and academic institutions including Stanford University and University of Cambridge. These events have hosted delegations and keynote speakers drawn from leadership at UN Secretary-General office, President of the European Commission, Prime Minister of Italy, President of Brazil, and presidents of international financial institutions like the World Bank Group.

Critiques echo those leveled at NGOs and networks such as Greenpeace, Transparency International, and Friends of the Earth concerning issues addressed at inquiries like the Zedillo Commission and debates around the Washington Consensus. Evaluations reference impact assessment frameworks promoted by Independent Evaluation Office (IMF), UN Evaluation Group, Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action, and scholarly critiques published in outlets like The Lancet, Foreign Affairs, and Economic Journal. Critics have highlighted tensions similar to those discussed regarding Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, Structural Adjustment Programs, and controversies involving partnerships with philanthropic actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and corporate entities like Shell and ExxonMobil.

Category:International non-governmental organizations