IDOS contributed its scientific expertise and global networks to the conference by hosting roundtables and high-level talks on cooperation, trade and finance for sustainable development within the context of global disruptions and shifting alliances.
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The second edition of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), held on 2 and 3 June, brought together leading policymakers, researchers, civil society and business actors from around the world to discuss and agree on shared strategies for achieving breakthroughs in the Sustainable Development Goals. The conference also provided a platform to forge the new partnerships needed to drive progress in global sustainability. High-level participants, such as Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, Reem Alabali-Radovan, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Alois Raimer, Minister for Agriculture, and Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), several high-ranking representatives of international organisations and leaders from the private sector were present at the conference.
In her opening speech, Minister Alabali-Radovan emphasised the need to focus on win-win cooperation and on reducing injustice and inequality. Minister Klingbeil emphasised the importance of multilateralism focusing on common interests. Various initiatives were launched at the conference, e.g. the Hamburg declaration on sustainable use of AI, SCALED (Scaling Capital for Sustainable Development) – a new public-private partnership aimed at creating a dedicated company to support the standardisation of blended finance – and a Global Alliance against Inequality was formed.
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IDOS, represented by Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge and Dr Axel Berger, organised two roundtables in the run-up to the conference which dealt with development cooperation, trade and financing for sustainable development in response to the current geopolitical developments and disruptive policies. The roundtables also evaluated the scope for breakthroughs in the upcoming Financing for Development Conference, which will be held between 30 June and 3 July in Sevilla, Spain. The roundtables brought together experts from think tanks, regional organisations, governments, and the private sector from all world regions to discuss how recent global disruptions are reshaping cooperation for sustainable development and to explore promising regional responses, new alliances, and opportunities for transformation.
IDOS, jointly with Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), organised a closed-door high-level discussion at the HSC, the Trust Lab, which brought together 30 representatives from international organisations, national governments, academia and civil society organisations for an in-depth discussion about generating and strengthening trust for multilateral cooperation in a context of shifting global coalitions. Across different levels of seniority – including government ministers, state secretaries, UN leaders and policy experts from five continents – participants focused on two sets of issues: how to improve cooperation for sustainable development, and how to better address the nexus between peace and development. Discussions focused on key lessons from successful cases of multilateral cooperation – such as the fight against HIV/Aids – for current challenges, including efforts to mitigate climate change. Among other things, they also identified the need to link public regulations (in line with internationally agreed targets) to the creation of incentive structures for sustained private sector engagement, and align multilateral humanitarian action with member states’ political will. The 2025 Trust Lab was the second edition in a continuing process where IDOS – represented by Dr Stephan Klingebiel and Dr Sebastian Haug – together with BMZ, UNSSC and co-creating partners from Brazil, Canada, China and Colombia offers a platform through the HSC for a diverse and evolving set of stakeholders to develop ideas on how to address some of the most pressing challenges to multilateral cooperation.
IDOS Director Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge participated as a panelist in the session “Driving Climate Adaptation: Innovative Finance for Crisis-Affected Contexts”, where she highlighted the importance of a rule-based international order for climate action. She underlined the risks that lie in an increasing move towards ‘striking deals’, which are often transactional and undermine multi- and plurilateral decision-making, as well as weaken regional integration processes i.e. on the level of the EU, AU, ASEAN and others. In the context of the climate crisis, such fragmentation is particularly problematic, especially as the US has left the Paris Agreement and thus does not consider the fight against the climate crisis as part of its strategic agenda. Prof. Hornidge also addressed the challenges of mobilising climate finance, noting the proliferation of multilateral climate funds – currently numbering 67 – and the resulting fragmentation and limited accessibility. She emphasised that in fragile and conflict-affected societies, climate finance must not only strengthen state structures, but must also ensure access for civil society organisations to promote inclusive adaptation and mitigation efforts. Over-concentration of support in executive branches risks further marginalising of already vulnerable populations.
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In the session titled “Time for Take-off: The WTO and the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA)”, Dr Axel Berger moderated a discussion that brought together high-level representatives from BMZ, the European Commission and international financial institutions. Participants discussed the transformative potential of the IFDA for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With two-thirds of WTO members having concluded negotiations on the agreement, the IFDA aims to set a global benchmark for transparent, efficient and development-oriented investment frameworks. IDOS research shows that the successful implementation of the agreement could generate global welfare gains of up to 1.74 percent. The IFDA includes a comprehensive development section, offering LMICs flexibilities and tailored support. Institutions such as the World Bank, International Trade Centre and the Inter-American Development Bank are already engaging in country-level workshops to support implementation through technical assistance and capacity development.
Young professionals from the IDOS knowledge cooperation and training network Managing Global Governance (MGG) contributed regional and intergenerational perspectives to the conference discussions. MGG alumni joined the conference and led the side event Training for Transformation: Building Multi-Stakeholder Competences in Public Administration at the HSC week, after the conference.
