Policy Updates

On September 18, 2023, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen announced the formation of a forum for European private entities to support the Commission's Global Gateway initiative.

Launched at a sideline event of the SDG Summit, the initiative was intended to bolster private engagement and partnerships in EU development initiatives. Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Urpilainen predicted that the group will increase the impact of development partnerships across sectors, particularly education, digitization, and renewable energies.

Members were appointed to serve three-year terms, and comprised a mix of small- to large enterprises and trade groups.

On August 23, 2023, the EIB announced an additional EUR9 million (US$9 million) grant for vocational education in Ukraine.

The grant was included in the announcement of an EIB collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science on implementing the country's Vocational Education and Training Program. The program was initially launched in 2021, and received funding totaling EUR58 million (US$63 million).

The additional grant funding was allocated to support technical assistance and program visibility as the VET is implemented.

On July 23, 2023, Italy hosted the first International Conference on Migration and Development in Rome, Italy.

More than 20 leaders from the southern shores of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Gulf participated. Also in attendance were leaders of EU port-of-entry states, partners from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, various heads of European institutions, and heads of international financial institutions. The conference discussed and addressed roots causes of and responses to increased migration flows.

The Italian government declared the main objectives of the conference as:

• Managing migration flows;
• Bolstering the fight against human trafficking; and
• Promoting the economic development of vulnerable countries to tackle migration at the source.

The cooperation planned to integrate a new model of collaboration through initiatives and projects in six primary areas:

• Agriculture;
• Energy;
• Infrastructure;
• Education and training;
• Health; and
• Water and sanitation.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized the importance of avoiding a "predatory approach" to Africa. She also noted that Italy will increase its ODA to Africa with the help of the private sector.

Meloni noted that the conference was a first step in the "Rome Process", which she described as multilateral discussions about migration and development issues in the Mediterranean and Africa.

She also announced a donor conference later in 2023 and emphasized that migration and international cooperation in Africa would be central to the Italian G7 presidency agenda in 2024.

On July 13, 2023, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation José Manuel Albares and the director of AECID Antón Leis participated at the EU - CLACS Society Forum organized in Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting took place in the framework of the 3^rd EU- CLACS Summit, held from July 17-18, 2023. The summit prioritized innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development in the LAC region.

Albares highlighted that Spain, the EU, and the LAC region share a common approach in the areas of sustainable development, democratic values, human rights, peace, and the environment.

The EU - CLACS Civil Society Forum gathered government officials, development NGOs, youth collectives and other civil society groups. The civil society forum provided the EU - CLACS Summit with ten specific recommendations on gender equality, global health, the caring economy, democratic participation, digitalization, climate change, and education.

On July 11, 2023, the EIB announced EUR40 million (US$44 million) in financing for Tunisia.

The support was managed through the EIB Global branch, a new initiative intended to handle the EIB's development initiatives. EUR25 million (US$27 million) of the finance was provided as a grant through the Neighborhood Investment Platform.

Intended to improve the accessibility and quality of education in Tunisia, specific programs included projects to shore up school transport infrastructure, sustainable and environmentally-conscious construction of primary schools, and digital educational infrastructure.

On July 3, 2023, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen announced an EUR66 million (US$72 million) investment in Niger's education and youth programs under the Global Gateway initiative.

Specifically launched under the EU–Africa Investment Package, the funding was pledged to support Niger's Education and Training Sector Plan. The plan prioritizes basic education, particularly for girls, and recognizes education as key to improving gender equity outcomes.

At the Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, the EU announced several pledges and partnerships to support partner countries in adapting to climate change.

In partnership with France, Germany, the UK, and Canada, the EU launched a new Just Energy Transition Partnership with Senegal. With the help of international development banks and other partners, the group aimed to mobilize EUR2.5 billion (US$2.7 billion) to diversify Senegal's power supply and increase domestic access to renewable energy.

The EU, via the Team Europe initative also provided an additional EUR300 million (US$328 million) to Rwanda's Resilience and Sustainability Facility. Building on existing commitments of US$319 million made through the IMF, the funding included commitments from the EIB, AFD, IDC, and other partners. The funding was allocated to projects to bolster the capacity to author and enact policy changes to respond to climate change.

Additionally, the EIB announced an EUR10 million (US$11 million) loan to Barbados for healthcare resilience. The pledge also included a commitment to improve partnership on WASH, renewable energy, and climate change.

On June 9, 2023, the EU released its New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Announced in anticipation of the July 2023 EU-CELAC Summit, the plan prioritized building strong and holistic partnerships in the LAC region. In particular, the agenda included increased activity under the Global Gateway initiative, including:

• Increased support for green transitions in partner countries, with an emphasis on innovation in renewable technologies and preserving biodiversity;
• Launching a EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda at the July 2023 EU-CELAC conference; and
• Increased support for digital infrastructure and public goods such as education.

The announcement coincided with the start of Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's trip to Latin American partners including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. The tour included the following key developments:

• Von der Leyen reiterated the EU's plan to invest EUR10 billion (US$11 billion) in the LAC region under the Global Gateway initiative during a meeting with President Lula da Silva of Brazil. She also announced EUR430 million (US$461 million) to support efforts at combatting deforestation and EUR20 million (US$22 million) for the Amazon Fund;
• In Argentina, von der Leyen signed an MOU with President Alberto Fernández of Argentina to increase the integration of supply chains for raw materials, particularly those utilized in the creation of electronics. The agreement prioritized sustainable innovation, as well as ensuring mutual benefits from the partnership;
• Von der Leyen's trip to Chile included the announcement of a EUR225 million (US$241 million) Green Hydrogen Fund, as well as calls for increased cooperation on raw materials; and
• During her trip to Mexico, von der Leyen announced the signing of a sustainable financing agreement between Mexico and the EIB on political cooperation. Discussions with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also touched on cooperation in global health, green transition and energy production, and food security.

On June 15, 2023, the European Commission pledged EUR2.1 billion (US$2.3 billion) in humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees.

The pledge was announced at the 7^th Brussels Conference on Supporting Syria and the Region, which was organized and hosted by the EU in Brussels on June 13-15, 2023.

In addition to the Commission's pledge, EU Member States pledged a combined EUR1.7 billion (US$1.8 billion), bringing the bloc's total contribution to EUR3.8 billion (US$4.1 billion). In the leadup to the conference, the EU also released a report tracking ODA to the region against 2021 pledges.

The Commission's pledge targeted WASH, healthcare, education, and access to basic services. Within the package, EUR11 million (US$11 million) was allocated to the International Committee of the Red Cross to develop sustainable methods of increasing access to safe water for Syrian refugees.

On May 24, 2023, Civil Society 7 released its review of the May 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit.

The report looked at six topics, including the nuclear disarmament, climate and environmental justice, the transition to a fair economy, global health, humanitarian aid and conflict, and a resilient and open society, and presented the following findings:

• Nuclear Disarmament: The G7 summit did not focus on nuclear disarmament, and its leaders did not show any commitment to starting time-bound negotiations. While condemning Russia’s nuclear threats, they justified their own nuclear weapons as being for defense and deterrence;
• Climate and Environmental Justice: The G7 summit acknowledged the need to strengthen adaptation measures, enhance resilience support for vulnerable groups, and increase support to the most vulnerable countries for avoiding, minimizing, and addressing losses and damages. It emphasized the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including non-CO2 gases, and reaffirmed commitment to global methane reduction efforts. However, the report argued that the G7’s approach to climate change, in particular its descriptions of fossil fuels, is far from ideal;
• Transition to a Fair Economy: The G7 summit prioritized “economic security” from its perspective rather than focusing on resolving challenges faced by partner countries. It aimed to decouple supply chains from China, but such decoupling could impose additional burdens on developing countries. The summit lacked strong commitments regarding debt restructuring, international negotiations, and debt cancellation. It also weakened the organization's stance on business and human rights;
• Global Health: The G7 summit fell short of expectations due to time constraints and limitations imposed by Japan. It failed to address intellectual property rights as a key factor in addressing the pandemic and ensuring equitable access to therapeutics. The summit lacked specific commitments, and its focus was more on ordering and reaffirming previous pledges rather than providing the required funding and technological contributions;
• Humanitarian Aid and Conflict: The G7 summit's commitment of US$21 billion in support, with particular focus on addressing food crises and prioritizing education, was welcomed. However, apart from this financial commitment, the summit lacked clear and concrete commitments. It failed to mention the importance of strengthening local leadership and access to humanitarian aid and protection; and
• Resilient and Open Society: The G7 summit did not address the concept of an open society or democracy in its statements. It neglected to discuss civic space and shrinking civil society, and its focus on democracy mainly revolved around countering information warfare. The summit did not address issues like digital space safety, fake news, freedom of expression, or topics covered in previous G7 meetings. The treatment of non-regular immigrants and their dire situations was a significant problem. The summit lacked references to freedom of expression and did not improve citizen participation or support for civil society organizations.

C7 aims to achieve a society envisioned by the SDGs that leaves no one behind, and its criticism of the G7 Hiroshima Summit was presented as a means of holding leaders to account for their role in building a better world.