Aid and Development Archive
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![A South Sudanese NGO conducts a training session.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/international-aid-global-south-12142023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Financing is a critical component in the response to various development goals across the Global South, but it is also urgent to scrutinize how solutions are implemented. In particular, the exclusion of local actors affects the effectiveness of international assistance and can even lead to foreign aid doing more harm than good.
![The heads of state of the Mercosur member countries.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mercosur-summit-brazil-argentina-12112023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Every time the political winds shift in South America, Mercosur heads in a new direction. Last week’s summit was no exception. The trade group agreed to invest $10 billion in regional infrastructure, but its free trade deal with the EU hit yet another speed bump, in part due to worries over Argentine President Javier Milei’s plans.