A decades-long UK-AKDN partnership offers lessons for global cooperation

Amidst geopolitical fragmentation and rising security challenges, global cooperation and international development have come under scrutiny and strain. Now, more than ever, renewing friendships and alliances is vital.

Set against more than two centuries of collaboration between the Ismaili Imamat and Britain, dating back to the 19^th century, the partnership between the United Kingdom and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) reflects an approach to cooperation and development shaped by continuity and commitment.

Having evolved beyond historical ties into a structured collaboration spanning rural development, enterprise growth, climate-resilience and cross-border infrastructure, this enduring relationship underscores a commitment to long-term cooperation at a moment when such approaches are increasingly under pressure.

Together from the beginning

Among the most significant early partnerships between AKDN and the United Kingdom was the support for the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in Pakistan in the 1980s. Developed with assistance from the UK and other partners, AKRSP marked a departure from conventional development models by placing community institutions at the centre of rural transformation.

Reflecting on the partnership, Shoaib Sultan Khan, the first general manager of AKRSP and a pioneer of rural development, later wrote that Sir Nicholas Barrington, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan at the time, “was a true believer in AKRSP”.

Initially operating in the country’s remote northern regions, AKRSP’s approach focused on local communities, helping them identify their own priorities, manage their resources and build institutions to sustain development over time.

“Long before ‘localisation’ was a buzzword, AKDN and the UK helped pioneer a new paradigm,” says current AKRSP general manager Jamil Uddin. “This was especially achieved through a large investment in building capacity of local staff, offering them dedicated opportunities to attend universities in the UK.”

Over two decades of joint support to AKRSP, the UK and AKDN formed hundreds of village groups and helped build over 2,000 roads, bridges and hydropower stations – many active and in use to this day, and which have benefitted more than 380,000 households in the region.

Other significant figures include the planting of 50 million trees and the development of 130,000 hectares of new land in support of environmental sustainability and food security. Community savings groups have pooled over £1.3 million ($1.8 million) and extended £5.2 million ($7.2 million) in loans, helping families start businesses and expand livelihoods.

This community-driven approach would later inform rural development strategies across South and Central Asia, and influence thinking among bilateral and multilateral development partners worldwide. A World Bank evaluation in 2001 called AKRSP “a model for rural programmes throughout the country and across the globe”.

Building a global partnership

As the scope of cooperation expanded, the partnership between AKDN and the UK evolved from project-based collaboration into a more formalised relationship. This shift was reflected in the signing of an Accord of Cooperation in 1988 with the UK’s Overseas Development Agency – now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The agreement established a framework for collaboration in other sectors and regions, and enabled coordinated efforts in South and Central Asia and Eastern Africa.

Over subsequent decades, the partnership adapted alongside changes in UK development policy – from the creation of the Department for International Development in the late 1990s to the more recent integration of aid and diplomacy under the FCDO.

During this period, cooperation broadened to include education, community health, climate resilience, financial inclusion, tourism and economic development, clean energy and women’s empowerment. An emphasis on sustainable, enduring activity and impact connected all this work. Across the decades, the commitment to locally grounded and community-led approaches has remained.

Today, AKDN and FCDO are building on this legacy by supporting a new Central Asia green inclusive growth initiative housed within Accelerate Prosperity (AP) – a flagship AKDN programme operating across Central and South Asia.

By providing tailored financing and technical assistance to early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs, AP addresses persistent gaps in access to capital while fostering innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Pakistan and, most recently, Afghanistan.

“Since Accelerate Prosperity’s founding in 2016,” notes Imran Shams, AP’s executive director, “6,000 small, growth-oriented businesses and start-ups have benefitted from acceleration and incubation programmes.”

Building on prior investments from the Aga Khan Foundation, the European Union, USAID and the Swiss Development Corporation, the recent investments from the UK, says Shams, will “provide pre-financing technical assistance and facilitate tailored financing to an additional 3,000 entrepreneurs – with a particular focus on creating jobs for women and youth”.

Investing for a safer, greener future

In 2017, British International Investment (BII) and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) launched a joint power platform, committing about £160 million ($210 million) to support Africa’s energy transition.

One of the most significant outcomes to emerge from this partnership is the Ruzizi III Regional Hydropower Project – a cross-border, tri-national 206 MW renewable energy initiative shared and conceptualised by Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Shared infrastructure of this kind is increasingly seen as a practical mechanism for cross-border cooperation and stability. Ruzizi III is cited within the Regional Integration Framework, developed under US- and Qatar-supported mediation efforts and agreed by the Presidents of the DRC and Rwanda on 4 December 2025, as part of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity.

Expected to mobilise £530–£605 million ($700–$800 million) in project financing, Ruzizi III combines government equity with private investment and an expanding pool of technical and financial partners, including development finance institutions such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union, Agence Française de Développement and Germany's state-owned development bank, KfW.

The initiative will benefit 30 million people, 70 percent of whom live below the poverty line. It will double Burundi’s current energy capacity, increase Rwanda’s installed capacity by one-third, and provide much-needed baseload power in eastern DRC – a region that is otherwise isolated from the country’s grid.

By expanding access to reliable electricity, Ruzizi III is expected to support businesses, hospitals, schools and other essential infrastructure – contributing to job creation and improved service delivery. And as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow, better energy access will help develop them sustainably.

Partnering for shared prosperity

In a world that often feels more divided and uncertain, projects like Ruzizi III show what is still possible when different partners come together with a shared purpose. Governments, development institutions and responsible investors can combine their strengths to deliver solutions that no single actor could achieve alone.

The same spirit has guided AKRSP and Accelerate Prosperity. Their success reflects a long-term commitment to local communities – supporting people to shape their own futures, strengthen local institutions and build progress that lasts beyond any one funding cycle.

These collaborations have a simple goal at their heart: improving lives. They help create opportunities, expand access to essential services and lay foundations for more resilient and prosperous societies. At the same time, they contribute to wider global priorities, including stability, economic growth and peace.

While international cooperation is evolving, partnerships like these offer practical ways to deliver results across borders and sectors. It is in this context that the partnership between the United Kingdom and AKDN takes shape – highlighting not only the depth of a longstanding relationship, but also its continued relevance in meeting today’s shared challenges.