The world is engaged in an energetic conversation on a post-2015 development agenda, and the thorny issue of financing ambitious goals is ever more present. Domestic resources will be most important, and private sources of finance will also play a crucial role. But what is the role of aid and other kinds of international public finance? Is it time to start to wind down the aid architecture, now that most countries are middle income? Or are we at a crucial moment in the evolution of international public finances, with the chance of building a better-functioning system for the new era?

This is the first of a series of ODI-hosted events throughout 2014-2015 examining options for financing the Sustainable Development Goals in the run up to the Financing for Development Conference. This roundtable event will discuss a new joint UNDP-ODI discussion papaer, and seek feedback on the key issues raised and directions for future work.

This paper looks at whether development aid will remain important and relevant in the post-2015 era, and asks how it should evolve in response to a new international context.