Policy Updates

On July 18, 2024, PALM10 took place, co-chaired by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, with leaders and representatives from 19 countries and regions, including Japan, 14 Pacific Island countries, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

The meeting focused on seven main topics aligned with the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy, which entailed:

• Political leadership and regionalism;
• People-centered development;
• Peace and security;
• Resources and economic development;
• Climate change and disasterss;
• Ocean and environment; and
• Technology and connectivity.

The leaders discussed regional and international affairs, reaffirming the Japan-Pacific partnership and adopting the PALM10 Leaders’ Declaration and Joint Action Plan.

Key sessions included:

• Opening Session: Kishida emphasized Japan's commitment to elevate relations and support the region's unity under the 2050 Strategy;
• Session 1: Focused on development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Japan surpassed its previous commitment, developing human resources for 7,500 people. Discussions included the safety of ALPS treated water discharge;
• Session 2: Addressed climate change and disaster resilience. Kishida announced the Pacific Climate Resilience Initiative with three pillars: disaster risk reduction, promoting decarbonization, and supporting Pacific-led efforts. Efforts to combat illegal fishing and maintain a stable Pacific Ocean were also emphasized;
• Session 3: Focused on people-centered development, economic development, and technology. Japan committed to continuing support in education, health, and infrastructure development, including submarine cables;
• Working Lunch Agenda 1: Discussed international cooperation for peace and security, upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific" and addressing issues like UN Security Council reform and North Korean threats; and
• Working Lunch Agenda 2: Kishida pledged further development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges for 6,500 people through 2027.

The meeting concluded with reaffirmations of partnership and future cooperation plans, highlighting the mutual commitment to tackling regional challenges and fostering development.

On August 7, 2024, UK International Development Minister Annelise Dodds pledged a US$26 million package to deliver food, water, health, education, and well-being support for Gazans during her visit to Jordan.

The package includes GBP6 million (US$8 million) in funding for UNICEF’s work to support vulnerable families in Gaza. It also hopes to support the vaccination and immunization of over 20,000 children, provide over 8,000 school-aged children with recreational activities, and help over 55,000 people in Gaza access clean water and sanitation.

Dodds also announced the allocation of GBP14 million (US$18 million) to support refugees in Jordan. GBP7 million (US$9 million) of the budget will be allocated to the UNHCR, and the remaining GBP7 million (US$9 million) to the WFP. These funds are set to be delivered in September 2024.

In August 2024, Japan signed a series of agreements to provide a total of JPY800 (US$5 million) in grants for food assistance through the WFP to Eswatini, Mozambique, and Guinea.

Japan will provide JPY200 million (US$1 million) to Eswatini to address severe food shortages caused by droughts, heatwaves, and floods, aiming to improve food security.

JPY300 million (US$2 million) is set to go to Mozambique to help alleviate hunger, particularly in the conflict-affected Cabo Delgado region, where over 1.5 million people face severe food insecurity.

Japan will provide JPY300 million (US$2 million) to Guinea to address rice shortages and enhance food security, especially after India's rice export ban.

These efforts are part of Japan's commitment to addressing food crises and supporting sustainable agricultural production, as pledged during the 2022 TICAD8 summit and the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit.

On August 13, 2024, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy opened Australia’s annual parliamentary seminar by announcing an additional AUD3 million (US$2 million) for CePaCT to support the regional gene bank for the Pacific community.

Australia has funded CePaCT since 2009, which aims to achieve long-term conservation and distribution of key trees and crops in the Pacific.

Conroy emphasized Australia's continued response to the climate impact in the Pacific, including through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership which helped deliver renewable energy and off-grid infrastructure to improve rural livelihoods and food security in the more remote Pacific islands.

The annual seminar run by the Crawford Fund saw Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, the new managing director of CGIAR, and Dr. Yvonne Pinto, the head of the International Rice Research Institute, as keynote speakers.

Chair of the Crawford Fund, ex-Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, noted that the allocation of funds to the ACIAR, involved only 2.5% of Australian ODA. Funding for bilateral research partnerships and contributions to CGIAR both came from within that allocation.

On August 12, 2024, the FPD published a draft paper which advocated for the abolition of the BMZ as an independent entity and its reorganization under the AA.

The draft paper was published by Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the FDP, alongside other FPD politicians, following an independent economic and legal assessment of the 2025 budget draft. The draft paper reignited debate about the German budget and proposed further cuts to social spending and development funding.

The 2025 draft budget foresees cuts to development funding close to EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion), in addition to humanitarian assistance cuts.

German CSOs protested against the cuts planned in the budget draft, and criticized attempts by politicians to further funding cuts. German CSOs asserted that in an interconnected world, cuts to funding are a sign of political shortsightedness and economic naïveté and could have negative consequences for the German economy and its reputation as a trusted global partner.

Politicians from the other two coalition parties, the Greens and the SPD, reacted with strong criticism to Lindner's reopening of the budget debate.

On August 9, 2024, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced AUD43 million (US$28 million) in joint funding to support disaster preparedness and response in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

The program will assist 14 Pacific Island countries, as well as Timor-Leste, to manage and store supplies for disaster relief in the case of a humanitarian emergency.

The program was driven by the Pacific Island countries due to the increased frequency of natural disasters and the impact of climate change in the Pacific region.

On August 8, 2024, a coalition of Norwegian humanitarian and development organizations, alongside Norwegian think tanks, established an expert committee to provide recommendations on Norway’s future contributions to global health.

The organizations include the Red Cross, Norwegian Church Aid, Save the Children, UNICEF Norway, Civita, Agenda, and Langsikt.

The committee, led by CEO of NORCE and former Director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Camilla Stoltenberg, includes 11 experts in global health, health policy, and international development. Their mandate is to identify key challenges and opportunities in global health through 2050 and to advise on how Norway can best contribute financially and politically. The committee is also planned to assess how Norway’s contributions align with global development goals and the country’s own interests.

A final report on the committee's findings is expected to be published in October 2024. The commissioning organizations emphasized that it is time to strengthen, not reduce, investments in global health, and to ensure that everyone has access to basic health rights.

On August 7, 2024, JICA signed a grant agreement with the Government of Eswatini to provide up to JPY1.6 billion (US$11 million) to improve secondary schools.

The project aims to enhance the schooling environment and accessibility in four target areas by constructing new secondary schools, equipping them with educational tools, and providing consulting services.

The initiative, due to be implemented over roughly 4 years, supports the improvement of secondary education quality in Eswatini and contributes to UN SDG #4.

On August 2, 2024, Norwegian think tank Civita, represented by project leaders Hans Jacob Huun Thomsen and Maria Bakken, proposed using NOK100 billion (US$9.1 billion) from Norway's oil revenue for international development and climate initiatives.

The suggestions included:

• Allocating at least 0.7% of GNI for traditional poverty eradication and humanitarian assistance; and
• Allocating 0.25% of the Oil Fund annually for climate financing. The Oil Fund, valued at over NOK18 trillion, would amount to NOK46 billion (US$4.2 billion) in 2024.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim supported the increased climate financing but emphasized that Parliament should decide on the size of the international development budget and ensure the funds are distributed wisely. She noted that Norway has doubled its climate financing since 2020, spending NOK16.5 billion (US$1.5 billion) in 2023.

Economics professor Steinar Holden at the University of Oslo also supported the proposal, highlighting Norway's wealth and responsibility to mitigate climate change given its significant earnings from oil revenue.

On August 1, 2024, Cooperation Canada published a Regional Perspectives Report providing valuable insights gathered from a series of regional dialogues conducted in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

The report analyzed critical signs of change in global development and presented a spectrum of visions for global cooperation uniquely tailored to regional dynamics and historical contexts.

The report identified the following as key drivers of change:

• Rise of authoritarianism;
• Shrinking civic spaces;
• Diminishing enthusiasm among local CSOs; and
• Shifting attitudes towards international cooperation.

Cooperation Canada highlighted the need for proactive responses, inclusive policies, and collaborative efforts to safeguard democratic norms and development. The report emphasized the need for greater solidarity among global partners and empowerment of local communities to shape development trajectories.