Southern Voice on Global Development
About the initiative
The future of global development is being debated at a moment of deep uncertainty. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has slowed, global cooperation is under strain, and trust in multilateral systems is eroding. At the same time, countries across the Global South continue to develop and implement solutions that respond directly to local realities. Too often, these experiences remain marginal in global policy debates.
Southern Voice on Global Development (SVGD) is Southern Voice’s flagship initiative focused on changing that dynamic. Formerly known as Southern Voice on the State of the SDGs (SVSS), SVGD builds on more than a decade of experience amplifying Global South research and perspectives. The initiative brings together researchers, institutions, and policymakers to generate evidence and ideas that can shape the global development agenda beyond 2030.
This project comprises three core components:
1. Cross-regional Comparative Case Studies
At the heart of SVGD are cross-regional comparative case studies that draw on real policy and implementation experiences from the Global South. Each study is developed by a working group comprising think tanks from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Each institution examines a successful policy or intervention from its own context, focusing on what problem it addressed, why it worked, and how challenges were overcome. By comparing experiences across regions, the studies move beyond isolated examples and identify broader lessons that can travel across contexts. The aim is to understand the conditions and factors that enable success.
These studies provide grounded, evidence-based insights that feed directly into dialogue processes and inform debates on the post 2030 development agenda.
2. SV Dialogues Enriching Policy Engagement
The SV Dialogues are another pillar of the initiative, creating structured spaces for exchange between researchers and policy actors. There are three tracks of the Dialogues. Together, they help position Global South perspectives within ongoing policy debates and ensure that evidence informs action.
Track 1: South-South learning and collaboration
The Dialogues strengthen South-South learning by bringing together researchers from the working groups and the wider Southern Voice network to refine ideas and build a shared narrative.
Track 2: Global Policy Dialogues
This track focuses on global policy dialogues, connecting evidence from the Global South with multilateral actors, policymakers, and practitioners involved in post-2030 discussions.
Track 3: Engaging in Global and Regional Forums
This track supports engagement in global and regional forums, ensuring that insights from the research and dialogues reach key decision-making spaces at the right moments.
3. The Global Report
The Global Report brings together insights from the comparative case studies and the SV Dialogues into a single, forward-looking publication. It distils key lessons from across regions and themes, highlighting how the experiences of the Global South can help shape future global development frameworks.
The report goes beyond summarising findings by connecting local evidence with global debates and emerging policy questions. It is designed as a practical resource for policymakers, practitioners, and development stakeholders engaged in post 2030 discussions. By grounding recommendations in real experiences and collective dialogue, the Global Report aims to influence how the next global development agenda is framed and implemented.
