As early as the 2000s, international cooperation organizations faced a legitimate critique: by perpetuating the “development paradigm,” they reinforced existing power structures and contributed to new dependencies. This criticism became a cornerstone of the ongoing discourse on decolonization.
While localization and decolonization are related, they are not synonymous. Localization aims to transfer more resources and decision-making power to local actors. Decolonization goes further: it seeks to structurally transform historical power relations by redistributing knowledge and institutional authority. Localization is thus part of a broader decolonization process, one that renegotiates relational spaces between the Global North and South.
Initiatives like the Grand Bargain have, since 2016, called for greater resources and decision-making power for local actors. Yet the past decade has shown how deeply power asymmetries remain entrenched. Current restructuring efforts focus heavily on financial flows, operating on the premise that increased direct funding for local organizations will reduce asymmetries. However, the mere decentralization of funds does little to dismantle hierarchical relationships. As long as funding primarily flows through international intermediaries, strategic control remains in their hands.
Flexible, multi-year, and unrestricted financing, on the other hand, expands local agencies’ room for maneuver and strengthens institutional autonomy. Yet these approaches quickly encounter the rigid reporting and control requirements of donors. This tension is further exacerbated by structural dependence on these very donors: their expectations take precedence in the “accountability hierarchy,” not because responsibility to communities matters less, but because everything hinges on the funders. The pressure to demonstrate measurable results often leads projects to prioritize reputation management over long-term, locally defined transformation processes.
In January 2026, over 40 Swiss NGOs, including IAMANEH Switzerland, adopted the manifesto “Locally Owned. Globally Backed,” calling for concrete steps in five areas of action. One of these focuses on building equitable partnerships and spaces for critical exchange. A concrete example of this approach, implemented by IAMANEH Switzerland in collaboration with the other KOFF member organization terre des hommes schweiz, is the “Knowledge Hub”—a shared platform that engages partner organizations in analyzing power asymmetries, capitalizes on experiences, and makes knowledge accessible across contexts. These relational spaces enable shared influence and collective decision-making, because localization that aspires to transformation requires time, not just money.