UNDP collaborates with various development partners and actors to provide support to the strengthening of Middle Income Countries’ (MICs) policy, institutional, technical and financial capacities. The objective of this study on 'The Role of Development Co-operation in MICs' was to investigate how development co-operation interventions can strengthen the enablers of change to create an empowering environment for MICs to escape the middle-income trap and move up the development ladder.

The analysis focuses on four countries – Ghana, Jamaica, Kazakhstan and Vietnam – which were selected based on a consideration of regional balance and typological representation. The study identified key enablers for positive change such as encouraging inclusive development processes, implementing public sector reforms, building and supporting the capacity of the public sector to innovate, effective engagement with the private sector, supporting technologically-oriented development and shifting to more sustainable growth models as opposed to resource-dependent growth. The report provides suggestions on how development co-operation can play a catalytic role in the achievement of the above.