The Broker examines mechanisms of power from a global perspective, going beyond the traditional, national point of view when looking at development and bilateral 'aid' relations. The Broker examines global development strategies with the aim of managing global public goods fairly. The ultimate goal is to advance human well-being.

The Broker uses a global perspective on this theme page to analyze the structures, mechanisms and actors that influence domestic and foreign policy in both wealthy and poorer countries.

The Broker believes that global relations have fundamentally changed. This requires a different analytical framework, one that focuses more frequently on global development rather than restricting itself to development issues at a national level. In other words, The Broker focuses on a global arena defined by changing structures, frequently conflicting processes, old and new actors – an arena in which one can still choose, or must choose, the side of the ostracized, the marginal, the weak and the poor.

These people are not by definition only found in poor countries anymore, just as the rich are no longer a Northern elite but rather a global elite. Nor is development only about people and poverty anymore. It is also about nature and our climate. Therefore, sustainability and (economic) development have to become inextricably linked to each other.

The paths to a more honest and sustainable society are not exclusively local or national anymore either. Indeed, they are increasingly transnational. The point is no longer about rich countries giving aid to poor countries. It is about financing and establishing cooperation in order to create a more just world together.

Globalization is creating new opportunities and new problems. Increasing interdependence means we have to think about creating new forms of global governance. Indeed, the old multilateral system is starting to crumble, in part due to the emergence of new, powerful countries. In addition to growing economic and cultural integration, globalization is also causing political, ethnic and religious fragmentation, fear of and opposition to foreign influences at the national level, a shifting balance of power and resistance to dominant forces and processes.

This global development theme page should help us deepen our understanding of this global turbulence. We want to look for research and methods that will improve how we interpret this turbulence. These can be theoretical or rooted in the unrelenting reality of everyday life, but they should always focus on practical policy consequences for governments, social organizations and the business sector.

With this in mind, The Broker has set itself a number of priority themes:

- How can we make global public goods a clearer concept? How can we make it a more relevant concept for national policy makers? Some global public goods will be handled separately, such as global food security, human security and financial stability.

- What does the emergence of several new powers imply for global relations and the effort to create a more just and sustainable global development?

- What does the emergence of non-state actors and transnational networks imply for our understanding of global processes?