New five-year Strategic Plan endorsed at IATI Members’ Assembly in Nairobi

IATI members unanimously endorsed a new five-year Strategic Plan for the initiative in Nairobi today. Presented at the annual Members’ Assembly, the Strategic Plan 2026–2030 sets out IATI’s priorities for strengthening country-level data use, improving data quality, and advancing interoperability across global systems.

Executive Director Yemesrach Assefa Workie introduced the plan and emphasised its role in guiding IATI’s impact and collaboration over the coming years. Built through a year of consultation with close to 100 contributors, she noted that the plan reflects a shared vision for “better data, better decisions, better outcomes.”

The endorsement took place during the opening day of the 2025 Members’ Assembly and Community Exchange, held this year in Nairobi, Kenya. The gathering brings together governments, multilaterals, development finance institutions, and civil society organisations from across the world, and marks the first time IATI has convened its annual meeting on the African continent.

The opening session included remarks from Raphael Owino Otieno, Director General of the Public Debt Management Office, National Treasury and Economic Planning, Government of Kenya. He warmly welcomed IATI’s membership to Kenya and highlighted the importance of accessible, high-quality development cooperation data for national planning and coordination.

Thea Schepers, Chair of the IATI Governing Board, thanked members for the progress they have helped drive, noting that their collective commitment has enabled two-thirds of global ODA and data from more than 1,800 organisations to be published through IATI.

Ms. Alejandra Claros, Secretary-General of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, delivered the keynote address. She highlighted CAF’s commitment to transparency and the value the IATI Standard has provided in opening decades of the bank’s data to the public.

Alongside the endorsement of the Strategic Plan, the Assembly hosted a series of interactive discussions that brought members together to look ahead at IATI’s future. Members discussed proposals to adjust membership contributions and exchanged views on how IATI’s governance can best support the initiative in the years to come.

During the closing session of the Members’ Assembly, IATI heard reflections from Dr. Abdullah Alsuwailm of the Saudi Fund for Development, who joined the Assembly as an observer.

Dr. Alsuwailm emphasised that transparency is central to achieving sustainable development impact and building trust across the development ecosystem.

Reflecting on the Fund’s five decades of work, he noted its portfolio of more than 800 projects in over 100 countries, totalling over USD 22 billion, and its continued efforts to align with global accountability standards.. Dr. Alsuwailm welcomed IATI’s new Strategic Plan as an important milestone for the sector and signalled the Fund’s interest in deeper collaboration, particularly on stronger data governance and digital tools that support evidence-based financing.

Tomorrow, IATI will host the Community Exchange featuring peer-learning sessions, technical workshops, and opportunities to share practical experiences.

All Members’ Assembly papers, including the Strategic Plan package and agenda, are available on the IATI website.