SNV at 60: Development in times of fragility, fragmentation, and flux

"This is a milestone, a moment, and a mirror," said Simon O'Connell, CEO of SNV, as he thoughtfully reflected during his opening address in the Peace Palace, marking 60 years since the founding of SNV.

His remarks framed both a moment to commemorate, but also a reminder of a sobering global backdrop. The 2025 Human Development Report warns of stalled progress: 2024 saw the weakest gains in three decades, with inequality deepening as poorer countries face jobless industrialisation, debt, and trade tensions.

And simultaneously, hard-won gains in recent decades of development cooperation, whether increased life expectancy or increased connectivity, stand as a reason to believe in a shared global future.

Within these contexts, quoting Anaïs Nin, Simon offered an insight into accountability and reflection: “We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” He invited the audience to “think about how we (the development community) can do a better job in communicating the realities of what we do and how we do it to counteract the current declining trust in development actors.”

This was the backdrop within which SNV convened global voices at the Peace Palace in The Hague for dialogue on justice and cooperation, to reflect on the future of development in an age of fragility, fragmentation, and flux.

Opening reflections

Simon’s address was followed by the note from Steven Collet, Deputy Director-General of International Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He reflected, "as a proud parent", given SNV’s deep-rooted partnership with the Dutch government and thought more broadly of progress over the past two decades since diversifying funding.

Simultaneously, he looked toward what the uncertainties of the current moment may mean and how partnerships and collaboration are the way forward to overcome them meaningfully.

"The principles that we learnt from partnerships should be set against the geopolitical realities of today… and we must see whether they can stand the test," he said.

This led into the panel discussion for the evening, Development on the Edge: Generational perspectives amid fragility, fragmentation, and flux.

Moderated by Abiosseh Davis, Global Head of MEL, SNV, the conversation looked forward into the messy realities of development and international cooperation and what it takes to stay relevant across generations. The panel brought together government, civil society, academia, and entrepreneurship leaders to explore how collaboration and innovation must adapt to a fast-changing world.

Justice at the core

Abiosseh Davis opened on the question of justice, having worked across many countries, and seeing firsthand how transitions and vulnerability converge in humanitarian and development contexts, often driven as much by injustice as they tend to create. 

Speakers agreedd that justice must be the foundation of development cooperation, yet acknowledged that power and resources remain unevenly distributed.

Joyeeta Gupta, Professor at the University of Amsterdam, highlighted the structural challenge:

“If we don’t come to a more just understanding of how we share this world, challenging how hegemonic sovereignty works or the private sector works, we’ll never come to justice.”

Victor Ochen, Founder of the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), underlined the urgency:

“Poverty is the biggest prison on earth. As long as people are poor, justice, peace and democracy mean nothing. If you want to achieve justice, human rights and governance, let us give people a one-way ticket out of poverty.”

From aid to transformation

Across the conversation, panellists emphasised that transformation—not “development as usual”—must be the guiding principle, and that communities themselves must drive that change.

Fatima Maiga, Executive Director of ESEN, drew on her experience in the Sahel:

“People don’t want development, they want transformation. We don’t just need money; we need better governance of our vast resources. Locally driven development is about taking power to people who can be agents of change.”

Bert Koenders, Professor at Leiden University and former Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, reflected:

“Equal partnerships are crucial. Development should not impose a toolbox but instead create an environment where people can catalyse transformation themselves.”

The panel also explored the opportunities and risks of technology. This is evident with AI and digital access, which are promised as democratising tools for participation, finance, and opportunity, yet often reinforcing economic, political, and social divides in practice.

Harish Hande, CEO of SELCO Foundation, reminded the audience that innovation must be inclusive:

“Inclusive technology is about reversing the concept of money and who gets it. AI will create more opportunities for people living in poverty. It could help break divides and barriers, including those of countries, caste, and language.” 

Rethinking language, power, and trust

A persistent theme was of self-reflection, both from the panellists and speakers, challenging the international development community to scrutinise its role, vocabulary, and power structures.

 As Bert Koenders noted:

“We need to rethink terminology. ‘Locally led’ itself, is a problematic term — locally led by whom?”

 Harish Hande added:

“The concept of ‘donor’ itself suggests a power hierarchy. This hierarchy needs to be taken away.”

 Fatima Maiga echoed the importance of humility:

“Development aid is often rejected by governments, who see no value in its addition. We need to be very humble about how we are perceived and see ourselves within the development system.”

Underlying all of these reflections was a call for trust. As Victor Ochen put it:

“If you are a young organisation, you are mistrusted from day one. Trust is what makes equal partnerships possible.”

Looking ahead

Looking ahead to the next decade, Simon O’Connell called for both realism and optimism:

“It’s important we reflect on how we can collectively make a difference. Let’s find a balance between acknowledging the complexities and also the positives. Let’s not lose sight of those dreams as a development community.”

 SNV at 60 was not just a moment to look back but also to look ahead—at the kind of development cooperation needed in an age of conflict, climate shocks, shrinking aid budgets, and inequality.

 As the conversation in the Peace Palace made clear, the future of development will be shaped by justice, humility, innovation, and, above all, by people leading their own transformations, reflected in everyday lived realities.