Bangladesh, May 1 -- The comforting fiction that global development is driven by shared goodwill has unraveled. What once passed as cooperative internationalism is now plainly shaped by competition, power asymmetries and strategic self-interest. In this unsettled environment, marked by geopolitical fragmentation and economic volatility, countries can no longer rely on the promise of benevolent globalization. Instead, they must actively negotiate their place in a world where cooperation is conditional and often transactional.

This shift is not entirely new. States have always pursued their own interests, even while framing their policies in the language of partnership and development. What has changed is the erosion of pretense. The insti...