Policy Updates

On April 19, 2024, the Netherlands pledged EUR68 million (US$74 million) towards World Bank hybrid capital, which is expected to expand the bank’s lending capacity by over US$550 million over the next ten years for global public goods investment.

Dutch Ministers of Finance and Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher and Steven van Weyenberg announced the contribution to support low- and middle-income countries in financing the energy transition, biodiversity protection, and strengthening health systems to prevent future pandemics.

This commitment joins those of 10 other countries to boost the World Bank’s lending capacity, totaling US$11 billion and potentially providing up to US$70 billion in essential funds.

On April 18, 2024, during the World Bank Spring Meetings, Norway announced a NOK250 million (US$22 million) hybrid capital contribution to boost the World Bank’s IBRD.

Through the World Bank's model for mobilizing private capital on favorable terms, the Norwegian contribution will enable up to NOK2 billion (US$181 million) to tackle issues such as climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, and poverty. Hybrid capital is a financial innovation that allows World Bank shareholders, including Norway, to significantly expand the IBRD’s lending capacity through unilateral voluntary contributions of new funds at any time.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim noted that at a time with significant and increased needs for development assistance and climate financing, there is a need to mobilize larger investments. For every Norwegian krone provided to the IBRD, the World Bank will be able to unlock eight times the amount in financing.

On April 15 and 16, 2024, South Korea announced its plan to provide humanitarian assistance of US$12 million to Sudan and US$7 million to Ethiopia with in-kind rice at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighboring Countries and High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia, respectively.

South Korea aims to help Sudan and neighboring countries to overcome the humanitarian crisis spurred by the armed conflict in the region.

The humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia, combined with 13,852 tons of rice in-kind, is aimed to help alleviate food shortages. In particular, South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been providing rice to countries in food crises every year through the WFP since its entry into the Food Assistance Convention in 2018.

On April 16, 2024, Canada released its Budget 2024, which included new funding to support Ukraine and bolster Canada’s international humanitarian assistance, but was criticized for a lack of transparency and did not include an increase in longer-term development assistance.

New funding announced included:

• CAD2.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) in loans to Ukraine in 2024 to support civilian services;
• CAD217 million (US$157 million) over five years starting in FY2025-26 for the EBRD to support Ukraine’s reconstruction;
• CAD76 million (US$55 million) for additional peace and security assistance for Ukraine between FY2024/25 and FY2026/27;
• CAD350 million (US$254 million) over two years beginning in FY2024/25 to international humanitarian assistance;
• CAD146 million (US$106 million) over five years starting in FY2027/28 to purchase shares in the Inter-American Development Bank to support clean economic growth and create economic opportunities for women in Latin America and the Caribbean; and
• CAD40 million (US$29 million) in FY 2023/24 for humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Budget 2024 also recommits to leadership on international women’s rights and gender equality, support for global LGBTQI+ rights, and the modernization of international financial institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Agreement Act, the International Development Assistance Act, and the IMF to support responsiveness to emerging global threats.

Canadian international cooperation organizations and coalitions, including Cooperation Canada, Oxfam Canada, UNICEF Canada, and more, released statements lauding the government's commitment to CAD350 million (US$254 million) in new international humanitarian assistance. However, Cooperation Canada criticized the lack of budget transparency surrounding Canada’s IAE as well as the absence of any increase in funding for longer-term development assistance.

While previous budgets presented rough estimates of the IAE, Budget 2024 does not provide a spending forecast. Cooperation Canada noted that it is difficult to know whether Canada’s assistance budget is increasing or decreasing with no information on trends, sectoral or spending-type breakdowns, or multi-year forward spending plans. The coalition estimated the IAE budget for this year to be around CAD7.2 billion (US$5.2 billion) per year, representing a growth of about 5% from 2023's CAD6.9 billion (US$5 billion).

On April 16, 2024, the White House issued its 2024 US global health security strategy, which reaffirmed its position that disease threats are a risk to all populations, including Americans.

The strategy outlined how the US will work with partners around the world to best prevent, detect, and quickly respond to outbreaks around the globe. Since 2022, USAID has expanded its reach to partner countries in over 50 countries, working with a range of stakeholders to prevent and prepare for pandemics.

The strategy focuses on increasing the political commitment to addressing health security, including investments in the Pandemic Fund, and recognizing the link between global health security, global health and broader development goals.

On April 15, 2024, at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Its Neighbors in Paris, France, the Netherlands announced a EUR10 million (US$11 million) contribution to support food assistance in Sudan through the WFP.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher emphasized the dire situation in Sudan, where 18 million people face acute hunger. Since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, warring parties have obstructed emergency assistance. At the time of the announcement, 8 million Sudanese were internally displaced, and 2 million have fled to neighboring countries.

The recent pledge supplements the Netherlands’ annual support of EUR55 million (US$60 million) to the UN CERF, which has allocated EUR35 million (US$38 million) annually for support to Sudan. The Netherlands has supported the reception of Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries as well as EU negotiations for a ceasefire and sanctions against warring parties.

On April 15, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen participated in the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours, where he announced CAD132million (US$96 million) in international assistance funding to Sudan and neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The announcement included nearly CAD101 million (US$73 million) in humanitarian assistance and nearly CAD32 million (US$23 million) in development assistance amid the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. The funding is slated to provide crisis-affected people with emergency health services, food and nutrition assistance, protection services for gender-based violence survivors, and other assistance including shelter, water, and sanitation services. The development assistance will support critical programming in SRHR and education infrastructure.

On April 15, 2024, USAID announced a new US government-wide strategy on international basic education, bringing together ten US government entities to reaffirm its commitment to an inclusive and quality education worldwide.

The strategy spans from 2024-2029 and is intended to expand the reach of the previous strategy, particularly for those most marginalized. It stated the intent to learn from the lessons of COVID-19 and make educational systems more resilient and inclusive. The strategy will implement four approaches, including local ownership, capacity strengthening, equity and inclusion, and data based decision-making.

On April 14, 2024, the C7 published a statement ahead of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Capri from April 17-19, 2024, where the group called on the foreign ministers to take concrete action to promote human rights as well as the common interests of humanity and the planet.

The C7 advocated that the G7 ministers reaffirm their commitment to developing long-term peace-building strategies that address persistent structural challenges at the basis of conflicts, ensure food security even in fragile settings, and address a profound transformation of food systems. The group also called upon their governmental counterparts to ensure safe and regular migration channels and commit to protecting migrant rights.

On April 11, 2024, the US announced that it will provide an additional US$25 million in assistance to refugees in the Uganda. The resources from both the Department of State and USAID will go to the UN High Commission on Refugees and the WFP.

The resources will be used to support food, health care, and education, as well as other emergency support to refugees whom have fled South Sudan, the DRC, Somalia, and Sudan. The US noted that Uganda has the highest number of refugees in Africa, having received more than 130,000 refugees in 2023.

The US separately called out a 2024 ruling of the Ugandan court, which had upheld a controversial anti-homosexual law, stating that the US was committed to ensuring that all assistance would be delivered without discrimination.

In advance of the Paris International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and it Neighbors, Power also announced an additional US$100 million in emergency assistance for the 25 million people who have been affected by the civil war in Sudan. Five million people are close to famine and eight million have been displaced. USAID also called out the violence being perpetrated on the people of Sudan by both sides of the armed conflict. The emergency assistance will include food, nutrition, and other services. This brings total US humanitarian assistance for Sudan to over US$1 billion.