This year will be key in shaping the new international financial architecture with Europe and its member states as shareholders playing a key role. We are influencing and amplifying Europe’s position on reforming the international financial architecture and shaping the implementation of the Global Gateway.

The climate transition is an urgent global priority and Europe has a central role to play. To achieve equitable, risk-informed and environmentally sustainable development, competing visions of a green future must be addressed.

If global warming is to be halted at 1.5°C, rapid and expansive transformations are necessary in all sectors of the global economy. In spite of current tensions in the international climate architecture, Europe will need to continue its leadership in enabling just transitions for all, and in mobilising the required finance.

Globally, Europe is a key player in promoting human-rights and an international rules based order; fundamental to building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.

We are supporting the European accession of Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans and exploring wider geopolitical implications. ODI will propose policies and actions to advance economic development, human rights and social justice.

We continue our flagship programme: the Africa-Europe Mayors’ Dialogue. The Dialogue provides a platform for African and European mayors to work together to deliver innovative and practical solutions for inclusive growth and sustainable urban development in and between their cities.

ODI Europe is working to change the narrative on migration, refugees and influencing the EU's agenda on containment, externalisation and securitisation of migration and forced displacement.

ODI Europe has a well-developed research portfolio that explores public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants across Europe and Africa. This initiative seeks to resist hostile rhetoric around immigration and to promote more inclusive and pragmatic immigration policies by providing evidence-based-research for political leaders and the policy community.

The deficiency of multilateralism has been highlighted by the confluence of current crises and the growth of great power competition. Meanwhile, in recent years we have seen the growing importance of multilateral alliances to overcome systemic threats that are increasingly global in nature.

For Europe, as with other continents, it is broadly recognised that existing cooperation across development objectives is insufficient to overcome current challenges. There is a strong need for more equal partnerships and reform of global cooperation structures. As part of this ambition, ODI Europe will be conducting a robust inquiry into the current status of European partnerships, including the views of partner countries.

The current state of the world – from the war in Ukraine, to the climate crisis, to the cost of living crisis – is creating new levels of uncertainty, instability and challenge.

Against this backdrop, the European Union is facing a critical decade. Debates around expenditure ceilings agreed under the multiannual financial framework (MFF) require careful consideration, in addition to the context of global trends and investment of other global actors.

Preparations for the following MFF will soon be underway. To inform these debates, ODI Europe will undertake detailed analysis of key policy challenges globally.

We will continue our work on Turkey and Ukraine, with a particular focus on facilitating risk-informed reconstruction processes. ODI is supporting preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 by providing detailed geoeconomic analytics. Following the recent earthquakes, we are exploring Turkey’s future and how it may shape its foreign policy.

The power to gather, process and disseminate information through digital technology and systems can be a huge force for good. But it can also be misused, and its benefits are neither automatic nor evenly spread.

It is essential that Europe fully engages in the digital transition and strengthens the impact of its external action policies. ODI is working with European actors to better align internal and external policies and to develop coherent digital approaches to external action.