Their importance stems not only from the commercial opportunities they offer to lower-income countries but also for their growing influence in global governance and their expanding aid programmes.

By being simultaneously recipients and providers of aid, emerging economies often claim a better understanding of the needs and constraints facing developing countries as recipients. Also, the emphasis on mutual opportunity in the aid relationship suggests an alternative to the dominant aid paradigm. As they grow, emerging economies’ cooperation programmes will inevitably shake up the international aid architecture. What will the new balance look like? What will it mean for net recipient countries?

ODI research is investigating the following areas:

• What do the aid agencies, programmes and operational modalities of emerging economies look like? What drives the aid programmes? What do they offer and what difficulties do they face? How do they differ relative to traditional donors?
• What is the aid footprint of emerging economies in developing countries? What comparative advantages do emerging economies offer from a recipients’ perspective? What is the evidence of their effectiveness and impact?
• What influence do emerging economies have on the international aid architecture? Are they committed to internationally agreed principles on effectiveness and transparency? Do they complement, challenge or enhance the dominant aid paradigms, including the effectiveness agenda? Do they represent an alternative to this paradigm or are they becoming the mainstream?