IsDB: Reverse Linkage – Development through South-South Cooperation

February 2, 2021

IsDB is transforming and repositioning itself to meet the needs of its stakeholders by becoming a Bank of Developers – a development institution that not only provides financing but also plays a key role in connecting and engaging key stakeholders and partners to transform the development journey of member countries. The Bank will encourage innovation towards new ways of funding and implement- ing projects, moving away from the traditional, centralised methods to a more engaging, crowd-based approach, utilising the effective involvement of stakeholders and partners. With this spirit, IsDB has introduced an enhanced technical cooperation approach – Reverse Linkage – that identifies the existing know-how, expertise, technology and resources within our member countries and transfers them to those in need, with the objective of achieving sustainable development outcomes.

This publication explores IsDB’s journey through the evolution of this enhanced technical cooperation mechanism and the kinds of tools and platforms that it has developed as part of its ecosystem.

The publication is the result of collaborative efforts between IsDB and its partners who contributed extensively to its content. It sheds light on how the Bank has, in recent years, worked on expanding partnerships with regional development institutions, bilateral cooperation agencies, resource centres, and other partners in order to promote the Reverse Linkage concept. It also provides examples of how Reverse Linkage projects are making a difference on the ground. Materials from partners have been included to show the pivotal nature of cooperation with IsDB, as well as to highlight their efforts to promote South-South Cooperation among their beneficiaries.