FCDO: UK co-hosts Global Partnerships Conf. in May, reshaping challenges' response

LONDON, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- The UK will co-host with South Africa and others the Global Partnerships Conference on May 19-20 in London with the aim of rephasing a response to global challenges, said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in a statement Friday.
The FCDO revealed that the conference will "bring together a diverse coalition of governments, international organisations, philanthropists, investors, innovators, civil society, business and technology leaders" to build "new coalitions to respond to shared challenges, unlock investment, support country-led resilient growth, and build alliances for international cooperation." It added, "Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will co-host, alongside the Republic of South Africa, independent philanthropic organisation Children's Investment Fund Foundation and the UK's impact investor and development finance institution, British International Investment." "Economic upheaval, illegal migration, extreme weather events, violence, conflict and fragile health systems disrupt supply chains, drive up costs and create instability," the FCDO said, affirming that "Rising global pressures affects us all and demand a new response: one that mobilises investment, delivers impact and provides value for money for the taxpayer." It went on to say that the conference will focus on "reforming how we cooperate, building on demands from global partners for a new dynamic, and test solutions that will mobilise finance, apply new technology, and back local leadership, to tackle these pressures." "It will forge agreements based on new, diverse and modern partnerships to support countries to grow their economies, become self-sufficient and ultimately exit the need for aid dependence." The Global Partnerships Conference 2026: Common Challenges and Collective Actions will take place in London next May, with the venue to be confirmed. (end) gta.aa