Policy Updates

Each week, Donor Tracker's team of country-based experts bring you the most important policy and funding news across issue areas in the form of Policy Updates.

All Updates

Search our database

Looking for...

South Korea, UNFPA aim to increase cooperation

March 6, 2024 | South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

On March 6, 2024, Minister Cho Tae-yul of Foreign Affairs met Executive Director Natalia Kanem of UNFPA during her visit to South Korea to discuss Korea-UNFPA cooperation.

Cho reviewed the development of cooperation between Korea and UNFPA, including the first policy council held on February 15, 2024. He also highlighted growing cooperation with UNFPA in areas such as humanitarian-development-peace nexus and Women, Peace, and Security in light of its non-permanent seat on the Security Council in 2024-25.

Kanem remarked on Korea’s support in preventing and responding to GBV and strengthening SRH in conflict-affected countries, and pledged to support Korea to continue its successful Security Council membership.

Cho and Kanem also agreed that cooperation should lead to tangible results, and alluded to plans to expand the presence of UNFPA in South Korea.

Press release - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Korean)News article - Koreasisailbo (in Korean)

South Korea, Australia renew development cooperation MOU

March 5, 2024 | Australia, South Korea, Gender Equality, Climate | Share this update

On March 5, 2024, South Korea and Australia renewed their MOU on development cooperation since its first signing in 2019.

The renewed MOU outlined an institutional framework for cooperation on new bilateral development cooperation policies, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and sectors (gender equality, climate change, humanitarian assistance, etc.), and strengthening of cooperation mechanisms. In particular, the document set out guidelines for Director General level-biennial meetings of Development Cooperation Policy Council.

The updated agreement is expected to further strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Australia to contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Press release - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Korean)News article - Sisamirae (in Korean)

KOICA, USAID announce comprehensive partnerships in India

February 20, 2024 | US, South Korea, Climate, Gender Equality | Share this update

On February 20, 2024, KOICA’s resident officer in India and USAID's India office signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen development cooperation partnerships in India, a key country in the South Korean government’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The cooperation is intended to support the sustainable development of countries in the Indo-Pacific region through trilateral cooperation between India, the US, and South Korea. KOICA and USAIDare slated to cooperate in four sectors in India:

  • Women’s economic empowerment;
  • Disaster and climate resilience;
  • Digital literacy; and
  • Trilateral cooperation.

KOICA and USAID expressed the intention to explore new development projects in India and bolster joint projects between South Korea and the US. The two countries plan to develop a concrete cooperation plan for the empowerment of female social entrepreneurs in India to support the economic empowerment of women in India.

Press release - Korea International Cooperation Agency (in Korean)News article - Asia Business Daily (in Korean)

South Korea hosts fifth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace

November 30, 2023 | South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

On November 30, 2023, the South Korean MOFA hosted the 5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace under the theme of the promoting women, peace, and security agenda at the UN Security Council.

The conference was convened as part of the Women, Peace and Security Initiative, launched by the MOFA in 2018. The initiative has aimed to contribute to international discourse on women, peace, and security.

Over 40 speakers and more than 300 total participants, including representatives from key countries, international organizations, and civil society, engaged in in-depth discussions on ways to advance women, peace, and security within the framework of the UN Security Council and conflict areas.

South Korean Foreign Minister Jin Park announced in his opening remarks that South Korea plans to contribute to this agenda as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024 and 2025. This conference served as an opportunity for the South Korean government to express its commitment to the women, peace, and security agenda and bring awareness to the topic.

Press release - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Korean)News article - Seoulpn (in Korean)

South Korea invests US$7 million in elimination of gender-based violence in Bolivia and Peru

September 2, 2021 | Global donor profile, South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) announced that it will invest US$7 million and US$6 million in Bolivia and Peru, respectively, to help achieve gender equality in the two countries by addressing gender-based violence.

KOICA will cooperate with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to enhance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of female adolescents in Bolivia through 2025. In Peru, KOICA will partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for capacity building of the legal system.

Press release – Korea International Cooperation Agency (in Korean)

Press release - Korea International Cooperation Agency (in Korean) (in Korean)

South Korea will work with UNFPA to support Iraqui survivors of gender-based violence

August 19, 2021 | Global donor profile, South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) announced that it will invest US$3 million by 2023 in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support survivors of gender-based violence in Northern Iraq. In particular, the project will include building two one-stop support centers that provide legal, medical, and psychological support.

Press release – Korea International Cooperation Agency (in Korean)

Press release - Korea International Cooperation Agency (in Korean) (in Korean)

South Korea pledges US$7 million to UN agencies to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality in Egypt

June 29, 2021 | Global donor profile, South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) announced that it will provide US$4 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and US$3 million to UN Women by 2024 to help Egypt achieve the fifth UN sustainable development goal (SDG 5) on gender equality.

KOICA will support efforts to prevent gender-based violence, the UNFPA's gender equality response project, and UN Women's women’s economic empowerment project.

Egypt was newly selected as a priority partner country for South Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) for 2021-2025.

News article – Money S (in Korean)

News article - Money S (in Korean) (in Korean)

South Korea’s grant assistance agency invests US$7 million to combat gender-based violence in Laos

March 23, 2021 | Global donor profile, South Korea, Gender Equality | Share this update

South Korea’s major grant assistance agency, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), announced that it will invest US$7 million by 2024 to address gender-based violence in Laos.

This effort is the first project that KOICA has dedicated to women’s empowerment and gender equality in Laos. In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), KOICA will:

  1. Establish a center to prevent and respond to violence;
  2. Develop a medium- to long-term strategy for responding to gender-based violence in Laos; and
  3. Establish an official gender sub-sector working group for effective implementation and monitoring of the project.

News article – KBS World

Press release – KOICA (in Korean)

News article - KBS WorldPress release - KOICA (in Korean) (in Korean)

Donor Tracker webinar to host webinar on donor finance for sexual and reproductive health and rights

March 11, 2021 | Australia, Canada, EUI, France, Germany, Global donor profile, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Gender Equality, Global Health | Share this update

On March 11, 2021, at 4:00 PM CET, the Donor Tracker will host its third gender equality webinar with a focus on development finance for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

The webinar accompanies the recent publication of a Donor Tracker Insight which analyzes the current funding landscape for the SRHR sector across three subsectors (STD control, including HIV/AIDS; reproductive health; and family planning), highlights trends in the last ten years of spending in the sector, profiles donor countries and multilaterals, and provides recommendations to donors for increasing engagement and impact in the sector.

The Donor Tracker will be joined in the March 11 webinar by Adam Wexler of the Kaiser Family Foundation, an expert on US funding flows to HIV/AIDS projects and global development funding for family planning.

The publication of the final Insight piece completes the Donor Tracker's Pillars of Gender Equality bundle, which also includes the previous two publications on funding for women's economic empowerment and financial inclusion and efforts to end gender-based violence.

Webinar registration - Zoom

Generation Equality? Trends from a Decade of Funding for SRHR - Donor Tracker

ZoomDonor Tracker

Donor Tracker webinar will focus on donor governments' funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights; accompanying publication available now

March 11, 2021 | Australia, Canada, EUI, France, Germany, Global donor profile, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Agriculture, Gender Equality, Education, Global Health, Global health R&D, Nutrition | Share this update

On March 11, 2021, at 4:00 PM CET, the Donor Tracker will host its third gender equality webinar with a focus on development finance for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

The webinar accompanies the recent publication of a Donor Tracker Insight which analyzes the current funding landscape for the SRHR sector across three subsectors (STD control, including HIV/AIDS; reproductive health; and family planning), highlights trends in the last ten years of spending in the sector, profiles donor countries and multilaterals, and provides recommendations to donors for increasing engagement and impact in the sector.

The Donor Tracker will be joined in the March 11 webinar by Adam Wexler of the Kaiser Family Foundation, an expert on US funding flows to HIV/AIDS projects and global development funding for family planning.

The publication of the final Insight piece completes the Donor Tracker's Pillars of Gender Equality bundle, which also includes the previous two publications on funding for women's economic empowerment and financial inclusion and efforts to end gender-based violence.

Webinar registration - Zoom

Generation Equality? Trends from a Decade of Funding for SRHR - Donor Tracker

ZoomDonor Tracker

Filters

Donor

Issue

1
2

Disclaimer

US$ amounts are cited directly from sources; in the absence of an official conversion, they are calculated using the previous week's average of the US Federal Reserve's daily exchange rates.

Be the first to know. Get our expert analyses directly in your inbox.

Our team of country experts and analysts bring you fresh content every week to help you drive impact.

Enter your email

By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions .

Our Analyses

Donor Profiles
Issue Summaries
Policy UpdatesPublicationsUkraine ODA Tracker

Resources

CodebookFAQ

SEEK Development

The Donor Tracker is an initiative by SEEK Development

Contact

SEEK DevelopmentCotheniusstrasse 310407 BerlinGermany

2023 Donor Tracker All rights reserved.

Privacy PolicyImprintJoin the Team