Editor's Review
Equity Group CEO James Mwangi has been appointed to a 20-member international commission tasked with redefining cooperation between developed and developing nations.
Equity Group Managing Director and CEO James Mwangi has been appointed to a 20-member international commission tasked with redefining cooperation between developed and developing nations.
In a statement on Friday, October 9, Equity Group said the South-North Commission on Development is an independent initiative established by the German government to explore new approaches to collaboration between the Global North and the Global South.
Its 20 members were unveiled in Berlin on October 5 by co-chairs Olaf Scholz, Germany's former Chancellor, and Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica's former President.
Mwangi is among only two business leaders selected to serve on the commission.
The membership also brings together senior figures from international institutions, former government officials, development organisations, academia and civil society.
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Representatives include the heads of the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Former senior officials from South Africa, Senegal, Indonesia, Spain, Brazil, Uruguay and Germany are also represented, with the Global South accounting for the majority of commissioners.
Commenting on his appointment, Mwangi highlighted the need to move beyond traditional aid-based relationships towards partnerships that deliver sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity.
"Willy Brandt's Commission gave the world the language of interdependence. Fifty years on, our task is to turn that language into partnerships that work. Africa should no longer be seen through the lens of aid. It is a source of growth, talent, innovation and investment. I am honoured to join the Co-Chairs and my fellow Commissioners.
"I will bring what Equity has learned about mobilising domestic and global capital, backing entrepreneurs and small businesses, and making financial and economic inclusion a platform for jobs and shared prosperity," he said.
The newly appointed commissioners are scheduled to hold their inaugural meeting in Bangkok on October 16 and 17, alongside the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
The body plans to release interim findings in 2027, marking 50 years since the Brandt Commission began its work, before publishing its final report at the end of 2028.
Mwangi will participate in the commission in his personal capacity.
The commission comprises representatives from international institutions, former government leaders, development organisations, academia, civil society and the business community.
The international institutions category includes World Bank President Ajay Banga, World Trade Organization Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and United Nations Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo. De Croo participates in an official and consultative capacity.
Former government leaders on the panel include Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, former Deputy President of South Africa and former Executive Director of UN Women; Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal; and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, former Finance Minister of Indonesia and Independent Co-chair of the IDA22 replenishment.
The group also includes Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs and former Foreign Minister of Spain; Izabella Teixeira, Co-chair of the UN International Resource Panel and former Environment Minister of Brazil; Omar Paganini Herrera, former Foreign Minister and former Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay; and Hermann Gröhe, President of the German Red Cross and former Health Minister of Germany.
Representing development, peace and civil society are Mark Green, President and CEO of ONE and former USAID Administrator; Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Co-president of the Global Survivors Fund; Dr. Comfort Ero, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group; Daniel Bertossa, Secretary General of Public Services International; and Nudhara Yusuf, Co-chair of the Coalition for the UN We Need.
The academic and research representatives are Prof. Kaushik Basu of Cornell University and Co-chair of the UN High-Level Expert Group on "Beyond GDP"; Prof. Xue Lan, Dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University; and Elsy Milan, a researcher at the Center for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London and a COP30 negotiator for Lebanon.
The business community is represented by Altagracia Gómez Sierra, Chair of Mexico's Promotora Empresarial de Occidente, and Mwangi.
