Policy Updates

On July 9, 2024, the Swedish government announced a three-year, SEK880 million (US$85 million), strategy to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and its impact on neighboring countries.

The plan, to be implemented by Sida, aims to support Syrians both within their country and those who have sought refuge in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell emphasized the severity of the crisis under Syria's authoritarian regime and noted that more than half of Syria's civilian population has been displaced.

The strategy focuses on improving livelihood opportunities and access to basic public services for Syrians and refugees. It also emphasizes support for human rights, with particular attention to women's rights and religious freedom.

Sweden's approach includes efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable for its actions against Syrian civilians. Additionally, the plan addressed the crisis's broader implications for Europe, including irregular migration and the threat of violent extremism. The initiative aims to create more sustainable conditions for Syrian refugees and their host communities, while promoting voluntary return to Syria when conditions allow.

The international community continues to grapple with the long-term consequences of the Syrian conflict, now in its 13^th year. Sweden's strategy reflects a growing recognition of the need for comprehensive, regional approaches to protracted crises and underscores the ongoing humanitarian challenges in the region as well as the complex interplay between assistance, migration, and security concerns.

On July 9, 2024, the OECD published the conclusions and recommendations for France’s development cooperation policies as reviewed by its peers.

The peer review report is published every five years. The review of French development policy took place between September 2023 and May 2024 and was led by Belgium and Japan, accompanied by the OECD Secretariat. The report was jointly managed by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Directorate General of the Treasury and the AFD.

The report stated that France has embarked on an ambitious reform of its development co-operation in institutional, strategic and financial terms. It noted that in addition to substantially increasing ODA resources and a strengthening its crisis response instruments, France has championed the linkages between green and social agendas as well as the mobilization of the private sector.

The report makes several recommendations, including:

• Strengthening the complementarity between technical assistance and other instruments;
• Taking greater account of poverty and inequality in Proparco’s portfolio;
• Increasing ODA to reach the targets of 0.7% of ODA/GNI and 50% financial effort for LDCs
• Equipping steering bodies to monitor the overall coherence of development cooperation;
• Using local development councils in order to coordinate Team France around policy objectives and common results defined at country level; and
• Optimizing the integration of the social and green agendas for the AFD Group, by taking greater account of cross-cutting dimensions of sustainable development, including long-term objectives and measuring ex-post performance to inform steering.

On July 8, 2024, it was reported that Australia’s two major domestic funders of health and medical research, the NHMRC and the MRFF, established advisory committees to provide advice on strategies and funding.

The NHMRC and the MRFF collectively provide almost AUD1.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) in medical research funding annually. A small proportion of this funding is for global health issues.

The organizations set up four advisory groups. One of these is an industry, philanthropy, and commercialization committee. This enables philanthropic involvement in guiding medical research on health strategies. A separate committee is to advise on improving preventative health, primary care and public health services and embedding translational research in the health system.

Nominations for the committees, including from philanthropic representatives and community members, close on July 31, 2024.

On July 8, 2024, the South Korean government and civil society held the 8^th Government-Civil Society Policy Council on International Development Cooperation.

In attendance were the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, KOICA, Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation, Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation, Good Neighbors, World Vision Korea, People’s Initiative for Development Alternatives, and Friends of Hope, and Korea Food for the Hungry International. The attendees discussed ways for government-civil society cooperation to strengthen ODA implementation effectiveness.

The South Korean government and CSOs agreed to continue discussing ways to raise public awareness of ODA. The government noted that a recent OECD DAC peer review positively evaluated South Korea’s efforts to expand humanitarian assistance and formalize government-civil society partnerships.

The South Korean government called on civil society to continue to provide advice and contributions to the development of South Korea’s ODA based on its long-standing experience and expertise.

On July 6 and 7, 2024, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp and Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans visited Ukraine, announcing a total contribution of EUR16 million (US$17million) to support research and fact-finding efforts.

The Netherlands is slated to provide EUR2 million (US$2 million) to enhance Ukraine’s forensic research capacity via the ICMP, EUR8 million (US$9 million) over two years for the UNHR Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and EUR6 million (US$7 million) for a forensic mobile lab to assist with research.

On July 8, 2024, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a surprise move, appointed Anneliese Dodds FCDO Minister of State, with a brief to oversee International Development.

Dodd was also appointed Minister for Women and Equalities in the Department of Education. The shadow International Development Minister, Lisa Nandy, also in a surprise move, was appointed Minister for Culture, Media, and Sports. The former shadow Labour MP covering the Culture and Media post failed to win their seat in the national election.

On July 5, 2024, the CGD called on newly appointed UK Minister for State Anneliese Dodds and newly appointed Foreign Secretary David Lammy to focus on four key areas of reform to ensure the UK reinstates its global leadership on international development.

The four key reform areas noted were:

• Champion multilateralism: The CGD noted that working through multilateral organizations is one of the most effective ways of tackling global issues. According to the CGD’s assessment of 49 development agencies' effectiveness, multilateral organizations all score very well. the CGD called on the UK government to increase its contributions to key multilateral organizations, including Gavi and the World Bank’s IDA. The CGD also argues that the UK government should not be afraid to highlight to partners that its ODA will be spent primarily via multilateral channels, calling for an increase in the current share (36%) of ODA that is spent through multilateral organizations.
• Fix the budget: The CGD called for a stop to the previous government’s misleading accounting practices with regard to the ODA budget. These practices resulted in a near-impossible return to 0.7% ODA/GNI and significantly expanded the definition of what can be counted as ICF. The CGD called on the new government to set out a clear path for when the government will return to 0.7% ODA/GNI. It also called for a further GBP1 billion in additional funding from the Treasury to cover the rising costs of hosting asylum seekers in the UK, to follow on from the former government's commitment to provide an additional GBP2.5 billion in 2022.
• Fix bilateral capability: The CGD noted that the UK’s bilateral ODA saw four successive rounds of cuts, which has reduced capability. The organization called for the Chancellor’s Spending Review to focus on delivering value for money, avoiding a long list of thematic commitments and focusing on efforts on the poorest countries. The CGD called on the new government to set out a more ambitious goal than the previous 50% of ODA to LDCs goal.
• Go beyond ODA: The CGD made the case for the UK government to explore policy levers beyond ODA spending to deliver change, including trade and financial regulations.

On July 5, 2024, BOND, the UK platform for international development NGOs, presented five key asks of newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to ensure the UK regains global leadership on international development.

BOND called for Starmer and the Labour government to:

• Turn up to big global summits: BOND called for the UK Prime Minister to reengage at important global summits. BOND highlights how the former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak failed to attend the UN SDG progress summit, France’s Sustainable Financing Summit, or the:abbrUS' Global Fund replenishment. The first one they call on Starmer to attend is the UN Summit of the Future;
• Get serious about financing development: BOND highlighted that this meant not only returning the UK ODA budget to 0.7% ODA/GNI but also reducing ODA spending on IDRCs, which made up around a third of the UK ODA budget in previous years. BOND also named addressing MDB reform and debt relief to ensure greater financing is available for developing countries as key;
• Drive forward local leadership of development efforts: BOND noted that its members have worked hard to empower local leadership and called for the Labour government to provide more long-term flexible funding for local organizations;
• Improve collaboration with civil society and ensure civic space: This includes improving consultation and collaboration with CSOs; and
• Deliver on the SDGs using a whole-of-government approach, working across trade, finance, security, migration, and energy.

On July 5, 2024, the UK Prime Minister appointed David Lammy as the UK’s new foreign secretary.

Lammy is set to adopt a progressive realism approach to foreign policy and to focus on reconnecting Britain to the rest of the world to ensure UK security and prosperity. He noted a desire to reset the relationship with development partners, based on genuine respect and partnership.

Lammy’s first trip abroad as the UK’s Foreign Minister was to visit key European countries, including Germany, Sweden, and Poland. Lammy noted that he intends to drive forward an ambitious and broad-ranging UK - EU Security Pact, where the UK will work more closely with its European partners to tackle security issues like Ukraine. When Lammy was pressed on whether security cooperation with the EU could extend to issues such as pandemics, decarbonization, access to critical minerals and illegal migration, he stated that he thought it could.

Lammy accepted an invitation by Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell to attend an October meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, an invitation previously rejected by the Conservative government.

On July 5, 2024, the US, in response to the continuing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, announced an additional US$57 million to the people of South Sudan to address the compound effects of violence, mass migration, and climate events such as seasonal flooding.

The care provided by the US will include health, WASH services, shelter, and other protections for vulnerable populations.

The UN estimates that 73% of the local population will need humanitarian assistance in 2024. 1.6 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition.

The US has provided US$351 million in FY2024 and a total of US$7.3 billion to South Sudan since 2011, when the country gained its independence.