Ndaba Gaolathe, Vice-President of Botswana, emphasises how important self-knowledge and clear values are for small countries. Botswana is small in terms of its population, military and economy, and has no interest in competition, but rather in the rule of law, peaceful resolutions and non-intervention. It is important to work with a wide range of trading partners and to seek out partnerships that invest in the country’s own development. It is always essential to understand who we are and power relations globally, to forge fair relationships, he says. -nk

Katrin Rulle

Reem Alabali-Radovan describes international development cooperation as a policy area under increasing pressure. In a changing world order and in the face of budget cuts, she argues that it must operate in a more strategic and focused manner in future. Her approach to reform is guided by the principle of shaping global cooperation collectively. She says it is crucial that with 65 partner offices and very diverse interests, there can be no ‘one size fits all’ approach. “Countries such as Sierra Leone or Brazil have different needs – based on mutual respect,” says Alabali-Radovan. That means understanding development cooperation not just as providing aid, but also as a mutual learning process. -fw

Katrin Rulle