• UK to cohost major international conference to reshape response to global challenges.
• The Conference will bring together partners from around the world to underscore need for more diverse forms of finance, cutting-edge technology and a focus on local leadership to drive solutions.
• It will establish new partnerships for international cooperation based on modern and diverse coalitions.

The Global Partnerships Conference will bring together a diverse coalition of governments, international organisations, philanthropists, investors, innovators, civil society, business and technology leaders on 19–20 May.

The Conference will build new coalitions to respond to shared challenges, unlock investment, support country-led resilient growth, and build alliances for international cooperation – making the UK and our partners safer, more resilient and prosperous.

Taking place in London, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will co-host, alongside the Republic of South Africa, independent philanthropic organisation Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the UK’s impact investor and development finance institution, British International Investment.

The UK’s security and prosperity are tied to what happens beyond our borders. Economic upheaval, illegal migration, extreme weather events, violence, conflict and fragile health systems disrupt supply chains, drive up costs and create instability. Rising global pressures affects us all and demand a new response: one that mobilises investment, delivers impact and provides value for money for the taxpayer.

The UK is transforming our approach to development, thinking like an investor, not a donor and shifting from service delivery to system support, from grants to expertise and from international intervention to supporting local solutions. The Global Partnerships Conference will help to progress this transformation.

It will focus on reforming how we cooperate, building on demands from global partners for a new dynamic, and test solutions that will mobilise finance, apply new technology, and back local leadership, to tackle these pressures. It will forge agreements based on new, diverse and modern partnerships to support countries to grow their economies, become self-sufficient and ultimately exit the need for aid dependence.

Minister for Development Baroness Chapman said:

The UK is inviting countries and partners from around the world to London for a summit on the future of International Development later this year. 

We have heard what developing countries have been saying to us. They want to work in partnership with the UK. Countries want to have more control, move beyond aid, attract investment, strengthen their own health and education systems, and take charge of their own futures. This is why we’re co-hosting this conference with South Africa, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and British International Investment.

We want to bring together the vast talents of philanthropic organisations, charities, businesses, researchers, financial institutions and public sector agencies to tackle the problems that hold developing countries back. Whether that’s fighting TB and Malaria, helping countries recruit and train their own teachers, or use technology to collect tax. 

The world is changing and development must change too. With less money to spend we have to make it work harder, in a modernised approach. What matters elsewhere in the world matters here, and this summit will show how we can achieve real progress when we work together.

Ms Maropene Ramokgopa, South African Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, said:

At a time when the world faces converging crises, partnerships that are anchored in shared values and practical cooperation, matter more than ever. The Global Partnerships Conference reflects the enduring bond between South Africa and the United Kingdom, and our shared commitment to advancing inclusive growth, sustainable development, and a more equitable world.

Through partnerships and collaboration, we can accelerate progress on developmental priorities while contributing meaningfully to global solutions. As co-host of the Global Partnerships Conference, South Africa looks forward to continue deepening cooperation that strengthens institutions, mobilises investment and delivers tangible outcomes, which leave no one behind.

Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation said:

Supporting urgent, lasting change for children all over the world requires not only renewed effort but new ways of collaborating. 

CIFF is motivated by both head and heart, and committed to working with the UK government, South Africa, BII and other partners in the Global Partnerships Conference, as we align around shared goals. Philanthropy is not a substitute for the action of sovereign governments, but can work alongside them – with development banks, private investors, academics and civil society – to mobilise the necessary resources and skills, and accelerate progress for people.

Leslie Maasdorp, CEO of British International Investment said:

We are ushering in a new era of development which prioritises investment, economic partnerships and sustainable and green growth. The conference will shape how we turn potential into progress in less developed countries for our mutual benefit.

Notes to Editors

The Global Partnerships Conference 2026: Common Challenges, Collective Action will take place from 19–20 May, in London. Venue to be confirmed.