Former SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz is reportedly set to take the leadership of a commission tasked with shaping the future of development policy. This information, according to “Tagesspiegel” citing government circles, suggests that while specific details regarding the exact mandate and composition of the body still need to be finalized, Scholz’s involvement is confirmed.
The committee he is expected to chair will consist of approximately 20 members from Global South countries, including those in the north. The model for this new group is based on a similar initiative led by former Chancellor Willy Brandt in the late 1970s.
The establishment of this new commission originates from an agreement reached between the Union and the SPD in their coalition contract, aiming to strengthen “bilateral relationships with countries in the Global South”. Scholz and his team are scheduled to officially present their plans at a sustainability conference in his home city of Hamburg at the end of June.
