Policy Updates

On November 15, 2024, Lord Ray Collins was appointed the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on PSVI.

As the Prime Minister’s Special Representative, Lord Collins will drive international action to tackle the issue, which disproportionally affects women and girls around the world and support survivors.

Lord Collins takes over the role from Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, who served in the role since 2017 and oversaw the UK host the 2022 PSVI Conference and launch the 2023 International Alliance on PSVI.

On November 12, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD35 million (US$25 million) to support gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives across Africa.

The funding supports a range of projects to strengthen gender equality, human rights, supporting women’s leadership, and improving access to essential services, with an emphasis on collaboration with local organizations and communities to ensure sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions.

Funding includes:

• CAD12 million (US$9 million) for World Vision Canada’s RESILIENT-WE: Reducing Environmental Shocks in Ethiopia to improve health and livelihoods for 56,000 people, mainly women, in the Oromia region by addressing climate resilience and GBV;
• CAD10 million (US$7 million) to UN Women’s Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women;
• CAD6 million (US$4 million) to Gender Links Renewed Women's Voice and Leadership project to support approximately 50 women’s rights organizations and LGBTQI+s groups in South Africa;
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the UN Somalia Joint Fund’s Supporting the Rights of Women and Girls in Somalia project to build inclusive public institutions to protect human rights, with an emphasis on women and girls; and
• CAD2 million (US$1 million) to Emmanuel Relief and Rehabilitation International of Canada’s Titukule Azimai (Empower Women) project to support survivors of GBV in Malawi.

On November 11, 2024, the Dutch government announced plans to reduce NGO funding by over 70%, cutting the budget from EUR1.4 billion (US$1.5 billion) from 2021-2025 to EUR390-EUR565 million (US$424-$614 million) for 2026-2030.

This EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion) cut reflects the government’s goal to streamline spending and reduce NGO reliance on public funds.

In a letter, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Klever outlined key changes in the new NGO funding policy framework:

• Higher independence: NGOs must generate at least 50% of income independently (up from 25%) to qualify for grants;
• Local empowerment: focus on local NGOs and grassroots initiatives in low-and middle-income countries while avoiding complex consortiums;
• Priority areas: health (e.g., combating HIV/AIDS, ending FGM), trade (e.g., promoting women’s entrepreneurship), and human rights (e.g., supporting vulnerable groups and female human rights defenders); and
• No lobbying funding: No grants will support lobbying within the Netherlands.

This policy has received criticism from NGOs. For example, Partos, a leading development cooperation network, called the cuts short-sighted and warned of damage to the Netherlands’ reputation as a global leader and the impact on global challenges like poverty, health, and climate action. Rutgers Internation warned the cuts threaten SRHR, particularly for women, girls, and marginalized groups.

The NGO funding cut coincides with broader reductions to Dutch ODA, including EUR3.4 billion (US$3.6 billion) from 2025-2027, and the decoupling of ODA from GNI, resulting in a EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion) shortfall through 2029.

Parliament began debating the Minister’s budget on November 14, 2024, with a final decision expected on November 20.

On November 8, 2024, Austrailian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has announced AUD10 million (US$7 million) in financing for an Innovative Indo-Pacific NGO Accelerator.

The funds would be provided to assist NGOs in increasing the scale of their initiatives to promote climate resilience and gender equality. It would have a particular focus on the Pacific.

Wong noted that NGOs have been leaders in areas such as micro-finance, impact investment, and impact bonds. Wong said the Accelerator would assist NGOs in expanding their impact by overcoming structural barriers.

Australia has taken an increasing role in assisting blended finance activities since 2022.

On November 7, 2024, Canada announced a total of CAD231 million (US$166 million) to support a series of flagship initiatives for peace and security in Africa, as well as building stronger and mutually beneficial partnerships by supporting economic empowerment, climate change action, and gender equality.

The funding was announced by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Development, and Minister of International Trade and Economic Development on the margins of the Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue in Toronto, Ontario.

Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced nearly CAD177 million (US$127 million) in funding to advance women’s and youth’s economic and social empowerment, support climate-change adaptation, and skills enhancement through the following projects:

• Supporting the UPSNJP - CAD75 million (US$54 million);
• Leading on funding the Renewed Women's Voice and Leadership in Crisis- and Conflict-affected Contexts - CAD25 million (US$18 million);
• Advancing women and youth’s economic and social empowerment in Senegal - CAD20 million (US$14 million);
• Backing the Climate Resilience through Empowering Women project - CAD15 million (US$11 million);
• Providing resources to AWBG - CAD14 million (US$10 million);
• Contributing to the United Nations Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Kenya - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Contributing to FIRST - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Strengthening the South Africa Skills Enhancement Program - CAD5 million (US$4 million); and
• Supporting Morocco's WESE - CAD2 million (US$1 million).

Hussen also announced initiatives to strengthening partnership to reduce poverty, provide humanitarian assistance, support economic development, and empowering youth by:

• Creating a new Africa trade and development program at GAC which will support development initiatives that contribute to food security, job creation, gender equality, and environmental sustainability; and
• Enhancing and expanding education and skills training programming to harness economic empowerment.

Additionally, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced CAD54 million (US$39 million) in funding for flagship initiatives and projects in the following key focus areas: peace and security, good governance, strengthened people-to-people ties, and enhancing Canada’s diplomatic footprint. This includes by:

• Supporting youth and women in peace processes;
• Supporting community-led conflict-prevention in Darfur and civilian-led political process throughout Sudan;
• Investing in counterterrorism capacity and threat resilience;
• Working to prevent violent extremism and support SGBV;
• Naming a Special Envoy for Africa and for the Sahel; and
• Formalizing Canada’s relationship with the AU Commission through a new memorandum of understanding.

On October 29, 2024, Japan and the Philippines signed an agreement in Manila to provide up to JPY724 million (US$5 million) for a new project addressing women’s health and GBV in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The project will establish facilities to protect women from GBV and create an obstetrics and gynecology clinic dedicated to violence response. Additionally, the project will provide vocational training and support women’s advocacy in the region.

Japan’s support aims to promote peace, stability, and development in Mindanao by improving access to medical care, preventing violence, and empowering women.

On October 29, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen attended COP16 where he announced CAD62 million (nearly US$45 million) for global biodiversity and Indigenous empowerment, with a particular focus on Latin America.

The funding includes:

• CAD20 million (US$14 million) to Conservation International for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to advance gender equality by strengthening leadership skills among women conservationists and enhance locally driven conservation in key biodiversity areas in the Cerrado in Brazil, countries in the Indo-Burma region, and countries in the Tropical Andes;
• Nearly CAD13 million (US$9 million) to the UNDP Biodiversity Ecosystem Restoration for the Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh project;
• Nearly CAD10 million (US$7 million) to the WFP's Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Resilience to Climate Change in Colombia project;
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) to the IUCN - Podong Indigenous Peoples Initiative to help Indigenous people build their capacity to implement gender-responsive biodiversity conservation actions in Guatemala, Nepal, Panama, and Tanzania;
• CAD5 million (nearly US$4 million) to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the Supporting the Protection of Marine Biodiversity Within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean project, focused in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru;

On October 26, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen concluded his participation at the 2024 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group, where he announced CAD20 million (US$14 million) over five years to the Toronto Centre to support LICs and LMICs.

The funding will support the Toronto Centre’s tailored training to financial regulators in developing countries, including for women, to help break the cycle of gender-based poverty and increase women’s participation in the economy.

The project focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indo-Pacific region, and special assistance to Ukraine.

On October 25, 2024, Minister for Climate and Green Growth Sophie Hermans shared the Netherlands’ priorities and goals for the upcoming COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan.

Key objectives include:

• A new and inclusive international climate finance target that involves more contributors beyond traditionally HICs, aiming to scale finance for both adaptation and mitigation in LICs;
• Advancing carbon market regulations with a robust framework under Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement to ensure quality and transparency, and prevent double counting of international carbon emissions;
• Advocate for new climate adaptation indicators to help countries track progress, with a focus on integrating water management expertise in global strategies, food security, and safeguarding vulnerable communities;
• Advocate for a renewed Gender Action Plan to promote women’s and marginalized groups’ roles in climate decisions and initiatives to make climate action more inclusive;
• Promote sustainable transport and a circular economy with policies to reduce waste, support green technology, and improve energy efficiency. This includes backing international coalitions and frameworks for sustainable mobility, such as zero-emission vehicle alliances; and
• Advance the Dutch Kingdom’s Climate Agenda Support for Caribbean islands by recognizing their unique vulnerabilities to climate adaptation and stressing the need for technical assistance and climate finance.

The Netherlands aims to use diplomatic partnerships, financial commitments, and technical expertise in water and energy to lead these initiatives, working closely with EU counterparts and other like-minded nations to build consensus and drive action.

On October 23, 2024, the European Commissioners-designates published their written replies to the EP questions ahead of the upcoming hearings in the EP which will confirm or reject the proposed Commissioners.

The hearings will take place between November 4-12, 2024, with the Commissioner-designate for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela’s hearing scheduled for November 6, 2024.

In his written replies, Commissioner-designate for International Partnerships, has highlighted the key areas and priorities for his future mandate. He said that International Partnerships will be a cornerstone of the EU’s new foreign economic policy, with economic growth being the main engine of sustainable development. He will continue to focus on the Global Gateway as the EU’s main contribution to the 2030 Agenda, while focusing on food, health, and education in fragile and conflict contexts.

Mobilizing private investments will be key to achieving the biggest impact of EU funding. He will continue to build on the Team Europe approach as a way of coordinating the EU's limited resources and deliver on priorities as a team. The main sectors for engagement will be green energy, digital infrastructure, transport, education, and health, as investing in these areas will reduce poverty, address the root causes of irregular migration and bolster economic security.

Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management, and Equality Hadja Lahbib committed to stepping up efforts to boost preparedness and response to disasters, including those linked to climate change and health. She will steer the development and implementation of an ambitious EU Preparedness Union Strategy. In her role as a Commissioner for Equality, she will develop the Gender Equality Strategy post-2025.

Commissioner-designate for Budget Piotr Serafin called for the EC to be an ‘Investment Commission’, with a more efficient and impactful financial architecture for the Union, and a more focused, simpler, and impactful budget. He supported strengthened and modernized revenues, including via new own resources.

Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva will prioritize the development of the next Framework Program for Research and Innovation, as well as work to increase research spending and support the target of investing 3% GDP in R&D. She stressed the importance of bridging research and innovation ecosystems to address global challenges, while pursuing reciprocity, a global level-playing field, and Europe’s strategic autonomy and economic security.