The Broker is a vibrant knowledge hub of integrated perspectives on globalization and development. We bring together cutting-edge knowledge and expert opinions from researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

The Broker acts as an intermediary between knowledge networks, brokering global development knowledge to inform practitioners and provide new and integrated perspectives on current global policy issues. As such we act as an intermediary between disciplines, sectors, and viewpoints from local to global level. We strive to provide this knowledge to inspire informed decision-making and agenda-setting processes.

Global knowledge provides a solid foundation for broad-based foreign policy and social engagement aimed  at achieving just, equal, peaceful and sustainable global development. This means more than development cooperation policy alone but, perhaps even more so, other areas of foreign policy (defence, trade, agriculture,  finance, environment) and the international dimensions of domestic policy (Europe, justice and migration,  transport, monetary policy, etc.).

Global economic and political relations are changing rapidly with the emergence of new economies, technological innovations and transnational economic and cultural ties. That makes it necessary to scale up and cooperate more within Europe, and to develop a genuinely transnational, global perspective. The growing complexity and interdependence of local, national, international and transnational processes call for an interdisciplinary approach. That is why brokering knowledge and bridging gaps between economic and social sectors and scientific disciplines has great added value.

The Broker believes in context-relevant and needs-based approaches. As a thinknet we wish to foster an active dialogue between the academic, policy-making and practitioner communities and grow The Broker into a vibrant knowledge hub of integrated perspectives on current global policy issues.

Acting as an intermediary between those different networks of academics, policy-makers and practitioners, The Broker aims to achieve a broader and more comprehensive understanding and thus better informed policies. We wish to provide a knowledge hub to help policy-makers, activists and NGOs determine their strategies. We do this by:

• Contributing to an effective performance by practitioners, to relevant research and evidence-based 
  policy-making 
• Co-creating knowledge by actively facilitating cross-disciplinary dialogue
• Supporting agenda-setting processes by introducing new topics and new ways of looking at them

STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL REPORTS

The Broker Strategic Plan 2012-2015 (Download PDF)

The Broker Annual report 2012 (in Dutch only, download PDF)

The Broker Annual Report 2013 (in Dutch only, download PDF)

To pursue our mission, it is crucial that The Broker has access to broad-ranging, state-of-the-art, international knowledge and expertise, can translate, merge and make this knowledge accessible to wider target groups, and can bring the right experts into contact with each other. 

At The Broker we call this brokering knowledge. 

We synthesize knowledge from different disciplines and perspectives by combining, comparing and debating with the aim to create genuine added value.

Brokering creates better and more comprehensive knowledge to better inform policy and action.

Striving to foster dialogue and integrate a diversity of perspectives and voices, The Broker leverages a multi-faceted coverage of topics. Through a combination of peer-reviewed editorial content and multi-perspective opinion pieces and debates, The Broker creates knowledge and evidence-based content which combines these diverse perspectives and formulates clear policy recommendations and practical implications.

The Broker works with co-readers who are all experts in the specific field of interest to peer-review editorial content and make sure it contains the most recent, top-notch insights.

CORE THEMES

Our thinknet is currently constructed around five thematic areas:

• human security
• inclusive economy
• food security
• social change 
• global development strategies

GLOBAL DISCUSSIONS AND THEME-RELATED DOSSIERS

In addition to our core thematic focus we frequently collaborate with our partners from policy and practice to produce demand-driven, high-end research and promote extensive discourse around hot topics in global development. These global discussions and theme related dossiers feature a diverse selection of peer-reviewed research articles together with online debates and enriching multimedia content to steer the policy-making or program agenda

The Broker is supported by

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The Broker would not be able to pursue its vision without the incredible contribution of its high-level 
cross-disciplinary network of authors.

Issue 28: Special Report: The future calling

12 March 2025

Our world is changing quickly and profoundly. Rich and poor – regardless of where they live – are faced with increasingly ‘thick’ problems and social change is more politicized and contested than ever before. And yet, most international developmen...

read more

The Broker is being published by the Foundation for International Development Publications (IDP).

IDP publishes the The Broker, its articles and other contributions, under a a Creation Commoms (CC) licence (Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported).

This licence allows you to share, copy, distribute or transmit the articles under the following conditions:

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