Policy Updates

The UK and other European countries have said they will suspend the processing of asylum applications from Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus.

A spokesperson from the UK Home Office issued a statement temporarily pausing decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst he government undergoes an assessment of the current situation.

The decision was made only one day after rebel forces seized the capital and the president fled to Russia. The impact on IDRCs in the UK and other parts of Europe remain to be seen.

On December 9, 2024, the EC initiated the 9^th edition of the Raw Materials Week, an event that brings together stakeholders from industry, administration, civil society, research and academia to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials.

Experts from various strategic sectors discussed how to foster domestic capacities, finance and derisk projects, stimulate research and innovation and improve critical raw materials circularity. The participants discussed the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to bring a secure and sustainable supply of materials for European industry by using strategic partnerships to diversify supplies.

The High-Level Conference on Raw Materials will take place on December 11, 2024, and will be streamed online. EC Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné will explain his vision for the EU's raw materials policy. On December 12, the EC will discuss raw materials projects in the Minerals Security Partnership Forum, which is a platform for cooperation on critical raw materials for the global green and digital transitions.

The week includes specific sessions on investment opportunities in Canada, Greenland, Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Norway, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa.

On December 9, 2024, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented its new strategy for Norway’s engagement in the Sahel region.

Norway has been actively involved in the Sahel for decades, providing significant humanitarian and development assistance. Recent years have been marked by growing instability, violent extremism, and human suffering due to conflict, climate change, and weak structural governance.

The Sahel region, as defined by the strategy, includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Chad. This new approach will guide Norway’s efforts in the region through 2030.

With substantial ODA already allocated to these nations, the strategy outlines how Norway aims to help reverse negative trends and establish a foundation for long-term sustainable development.

A key element of the strategy is the establishment of a Norwegian embassy in Dakar, Senegal. This step will provide a broader regional perspective for Norway’s Sahel engagement and allow for preventive efforts in neighboring coastal states.

The strategy prioritizes three main areas of focus:

• Humanitarian response and sustainable development: Addressing urgent humanitarian needs, supporting local resilience, preventing irregular migration and promoting inclusive sustainable development;
• Peacebuilding and stabilization: Preventing and combating violent extremism, supporting peacebuilding and stabilization efforts and encouraging the participation of women and youth in peace and security initiatives; and
• Democracy and gender equality: Promoting good governance, mobilizing national resources, fostering democratic development, and upholding human rights and gender equality.

On December 9, 2024, UK Minister for International Development Anneliese Dodds stated that economic growth is at the core of development, announcing measures to drive growth in Malawi and Zambia.

Anneliese Dodds plans to announce a package of educational support in Malawi and measures to drive green growth in Zambia. Funding will provide GBP39 million (US$50 million) over five years and will ensure every student has workbooks, teachers receive on-going coaching and learning is accessible to children with disabilities.

She reaffirms the UK’s commitment to the UK-Zambia Green Growth Compact with an aim to drive GBP2.5 billion (US$3.2 billion) of UK private investment into green projects in Zambia and commit to greater UK support to the Zambian energy sector.

Developing education will help to boost economic ties between the UK and Malawi and unlock the potential of women and girls to tackle inter-generational poverty and create their own businesses.

The program aims to accelerate learning, doubling the number of children with basic mathematics skills by age 10, and aims to reach 1,500 secondary schoolgirls with scholarships and mentorships.

On December 9, 2024, 70 organizations from various sectors and countries launched a joint call urging the EU to increase funding for development, humanitarian assistance, and climate action in the 2028–2034 MFF.

Initiated by Aidsfonds, Global Citizen, The ONE Campaign, and Pandemic Action Network, the effort invites organizations to advocate for an ODA budget that addresses global challenges.

The coalition established the MFF Hub to share information and analysis on the upcoming negotiations, as the EU begins discussions ahead of its next MFF proposal, expected in late summer 2025. A petition has also been launched, calling for a bold and fair ODA budget.

Separately, 45 organizations urged the EU to allocate at least EUR200 billion (US$216 billion) in ODA for 2028–2034. They argue this investment would strengthen Europe as a trusted partner, enhance crisis preparedness, boost resilience for the EU and its partners, and maximize collective resources.

On December 8, 2024, the French Treasury and the Zambian Ministry of Finance signed a bilateral agreement implementing a US$6 billion debt treatment for Zambia under the Common Framework in Lusaka.

This is the first bilateral agreement that implemented the multilateral MoU signed between Zambia and its official creditors in October 2023. The agreement restructures Zambia’s debt to France, supporting the country’s return to a sustainable debt structure in line with the objectives of the IMF-supported program.

The key parameters of the debt treatment were established at the Summit for a New Financial Pact in June 2023 in Paris by French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang. The deal builds on France's ongoing support for Zambia. France provided EUR16 million in ODA over 2023–2024 to fund emergency food programs in response to droughts caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

This marks the first debt restructuring agreement negotiated under the Common Framework, which involves Paris Club creditors, non-Paris Club G20 members, and borrowing countries. As chair and secretariat of the Paris Club and co-chair of Zambia’s Official Creditors Committee, France played a central role in facilitating these negotiations.

On December 6, 2024, South Korea and UNICEF held the 20^th Annual Policy Consultation to explore more effective and strategic ways to work together to contribute to the common goal of child protection.

South Korean Director-General for Development Cooperation Jonghan Park announced that the government will increase its regular contribution to UNICEF in 2024 to US$15 million and provide an additional US$30 million in ACT-A support to UNICEF for children suffering from poor health conditions globally.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden expressed her deep gratitude to South Korea for its increased contribution. She emphasized the importance of South Korea’s US$20 million contribution to ACT-A in 2023, which helped improve WASH standards for children in 22 countries. South Korea- UNICEF partnerships will continue to expand their contribution.

On December 5, 2024, the Dutch Ministry of Education’s budget debates resulted in a postponed parliamentary vote, with possible impacts on other ministries, including Foreign Affairs.

The coalition government's proposed EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion) in education cuts faces strong opposition. Without a Senate majority, the coalition will need support from the opposition. Reversing EUR700 million (US$761 million) of the cuts may require reallocating funds from other ministries, including Foreign Affairs, raising concerns about already strained budgets.

The ODA budget is under scrutiny, with plans to gradually reduce the Netherlands’ EUR19 million (US$21 million) annual contribution to the UNRWA for Palestinian refugees. The contribution will be halved in 2025 and phased out by 2030. This shift, predominately driven by pro-Israel parties citing neutrality concerns, is part of broader budget negotiations to secure opposition support. Critics warn the cuts could destabilize assistance in Gaza and strain diplomatic commitments.

The vote has been rescheduled for December 12, 2024.

On December 5, 2024, the EC, the European Council, BMGF announced that they will co-host Gavi High Level Pledging Summit which will take place in Brussels at the end of the first quarter of 2025.

Global Citizen will be a strategic partner, supporting advocacy, campaigning and event production. The summit will bring together governments, partner organizations, vaccine manufacturers, private sector and civil society to pledge investments in Gavi’s vaccination programs for its next five-year strategic period, from 2026–2030. Gavi is seeking to raise at least US$9 billion to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030.

Since 2003, the EU has committed more than EUR3.2 billion (US$ 3.5 billion) to Gavi. Together with its Member States, the EU is Gavi's largest contributor with more than EUR6.5 billion (US$7 billion) for Gavi 5.0 (2021–2025).

EC President Ursula von der Leyen, already announced EUR260 million (US$281 million) for 2026-2027 for Gavi 6.0 in September 2024. She emphasized that addressing health challenges at the global level is more important than ever and the EU is proud to co-host Gavi's High Level Pledging Summit. President of the European Council António Costa stated that vaccine availability is vital for humanity as well as key to restoring global economic prosperity.

On December 4, 2024, the EC announced EUR15 million (US$16 million) for the launch of the next phase of the Regreening Africa program at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh.

This program is part of the Great Green Wall initiative which aims to create green and productive land in the Sahel, and it is part of the AU- EU Global Gateway Investment Package.

The next phase of the program aims to restore degraded lands, strengthen community resilience, and improve livelihoods through sustainable land management and innovation. It will combat the impact of climate change and desertification in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, with a focus on Somalia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, and potentially Niger.

The new EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela highlighted that nearly one million hectares of degraded land have been restored as a result of the program's efforts. He noted that the next phase will be even more ambitious in building resilience and driving sustainable growth.