In answer to the call expressed within the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to mobilise all available resources – domestic and foreign, public and private – in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Development Co-operation Directorate develops a new work stream on transition finance to explore the evolution and interaction of public (official development assistance and other official flows) and private (foreign direct investments and remittances) sources of finance across the development continuum – studying multiple stages of development: low income countries, middle income countries, fragile contexts, and different regions of the world. Its ultimate objective is to advise the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in preparing countries for transition (outlining the optimal financial mix and offering policy recommendations) and in building resilience.

This paper introduces the concept of transition finance and initiates research to advise the DAC on its role as a major provider of development assistance among other public and private providers of financing for the 2030 Agenda.