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Why international cooperation matters In the global policy and advocacy arm of the Gates Foundation, which I led for many years, our technological optimism was tempered only by our global realism. At a moment when the trajectory of international cooperation is less clear than at any time in recent history, I know innovative advocacy will need to match tech innovation to ensure all can benefit. Put plainly, technology can transform development but only if we build the cooperation system to enable it. Neither technology nor markets alone will close the gap. International cooperation must support targeted research and design, enable policy access and commit to delivery at scale. This requires long-term commitment. Concessional multilateral lending, blended finance structures, philanthropic grants, sovereign co-financing and digital infrastructure bonds are all critical parts of the pie. The next era of cooperation may look nothing like what came before — new rising powers, regional alliances and global philanthropists are already reshaping who gives and why. In many parts of the world, that shift is welcome. The policy challenges themselves are as novel as the technologies behind them. By 2050 we will likely see a different set of faces around the table. But I hope there is still a table — one that is thinking about global, patient money and policy cooperation to put impact for the most vulnerable first.
“Technology can transform development but only if we build the cooperation system to enable it.”
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