Policy Updates

From July 22 to 24, 2024, South Korean Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Ki-hwan Kwon attended a G20 Development Ministerial Meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

Kwon introduced South Korea’s initiative to expand green ODA, support digital transformation in developing countries, and strengthen digital capacity in Africa.

Kwon also attended the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting and highlighted South Korea’s experience developing from the devastation of war to an economic powerhouse. He also noted that South Korea supports the launch of the alliance, as it is expected to strengthen international solidarity to end hunger and poverty.

On July 25, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach hosted the Sport for Sustainable Development Summit in Paris on the eve of the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The summit brought together more than 500 participants, including heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, athletes, and representatives of the sports movement, and actors in the field of sports and development financing. It was organized by the AFD and highlighted 5 themes:

• Education and employment: to ensure that all students around the world have access to sport and to promote employability and skills acquisition through sport;
• Health and nutrition: to reduce the prevalence of physical inactivity by 15% by 2030 and improve the health, nutrition, and well-being of individuals;
• Equality and inclusion: to make physical activity and sport accessible to everyone;
• Financing and impact measurement: to unleash the full potential of sport by mobilizing investments and measuring impacts with the Finance in Common coalition; and
• Sustainability and heritage: to organize more sustainable and responsible sport events aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.

The summit was intended to secure the legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by strengthening and structuring the contribution of sport to the SDGs. Governments, international organizations, sport movement, civil society and private and financial actors were invited to support the Paris Agreement for Sport and Sustainable Development.

On July 25, 2024, the Dutch government signed an agreement with UNAIDS to contribute US$2 million (EUR2 million).

Executive Director of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima thanked the Dutch government and the people of the Netherlands for standing beside people at risk of and who are living with HIV/AIDS.

On July 11, 2024, KCOC, a coalition of South Korean NGOs for international relief and humanitarian assistance, met with UNOCHA to discuss the latest issues on humanitarian assistance.

Secretary-General of UNOCHA Joyce Msuya described South Korea’s significant increase in ODA as a promising development and as a significant demonstration of South Korean leadership in humanitarian assistance. Msuya noted that she expects South Korea’s participation in the pooled fund to respond to humanitarian crises in Asia.

Secretary-General of KCOC Daesik Cho highlighted the importance of NGOs in humanitarian assistance, largely due to the increased awareness of NGO capacities.

Msuya and Cho agreed that localization is the most important in humanitarian assistance and NGOs can play a pivotal role. They pledged to work together to raise public awareness, as positive public perception of humanitarian work determines the policy direction of governments globally.

On July 23, 2024, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced the nomination of Wopke Hoekstra for another term in the European Commission (2024-2029).

Schoof emphasized the importance of continuity and experience in the Commission when communicating the renomination to the Dutch House of Representatives. EU Commissioners for 2024-2029 are expected to be approved by the European Parliament in October 2024 and to start their term in November 2024.

Hoekstra has been serving as an EU Commissioner for the European Green Deal since October 5, 2023. Prior to this, he served as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Prime Minister until September 2023.

On July 22, 2024, the World AIDS Conference, hosted in Munich, kicked off with a call to reinforce the fight against HIV/AIDS and protect vulnerable groups from discrimination.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated the goal to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. He announced that Germany will join the UNAIDS Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate all Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination. Scholz further noted that Germany is contributing EUR1.3 billion to the Global Fund from 2023 to 2025 and stressed that Germany will continue its support for the Global Fund, as well as for UNAIDS and WHO.

Germany has introduced significant cuts to development in its 2025 draft budget. The German contribution to the Global Fund for its upcoming replenishment and funding cycle remains uncertain.

On July 22, 2024, US UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that USAID will provide US$60 million in additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti to help address needs created by gang violence and crisis.

The assistance will provide nutrition, food security, shelter, WASH, services, cash assistance, and protection to the most vulnerable people in Haiti.

Estimates put the number of Haitian people in need at 5.5 million, who are facing not only civil unrest and gang violence but also natural disasters, including droughts, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. Basic food and other supply shortages, as well as lack of access to health facilities, has resulted in serious disruptions of supply chains and services.

The US has provided more than US$165 million in FY2024 to the people of Haiti.

On July 21, 2024, an article following the efforts of South Korean bio-companies to proactively pursuing projects to promote global health was published, emphasizing contributions to vaccine capabilities and technology sharing.

SK Bioscience is implementing a ‘glocalization’ project to contribute to solving the vaccine imbalance problem triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and expand into overseas markets. The project aims to transfer vaccine research and production capabilities to overseas governments and partners to build production infrastructure that meets the needs of each region.

Lunit, a South Korean medical AI-based company, is promoting a project to supply AI image analysis such as chest X-rays and mammograms to Africa in cooperation with KOICA and other international organizations. Lunit spokespeople have stated the hope that the technology will be a win-win strategy for entering new markets and improving health care in developing countries. Seegene, a molecular diagnostic company, has also promoted a similar technology-sharing program.

These initiatives are a result of South Korea’s bio industry’s pursuit of profits and ESG strategies. There is a global need for bio-innovative technologies to be used for public purposes, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global health experts have recommended that government ministries should cooperate with the domestic bioengineering industry to become more active in the global health sphere.

From July 7 through 19, 2024, Japanese Health Minister Keizo Takemi undertook key diplomatic missions to the US and China, highlighting Japan’s proactive stance in global health policy and international development cooperation.

From July 7 to 14, 2024, Takemi visited the US to engage with pharmaceutical R&D stakeholders in San Francisco and participate in health policy dialogues with Secretary Xavier Becerra in Washington, DC. He attended a reception by the Northern California Japan Society and visited the Japan Innovation Campus in Silicon Valley, focusing on advancing Japan’s drug discovery ecosystem and fostering collaborative health initiatives.

From July 17 to 19, Takemi traveled to Beijing to meet with senior Chinese officials, including the head of the National Health Commission. Discussions centered on bilateral cooperation in addressing aging populations and preparing for the upcoming Japan-China-Korea Health Ministers' Meeting. Takemi also participated in the Boao Forum’s Global Health Forum, where he emphasized Japan’s contributions to international health through initiatives such as the UHC Knowledge Hub and the establishment of the Japan Institute for Health Security(JIHS).

On July 19, 2024, UK Foreign Minister, David Lammy, announced that the UK will resume its funding to UNWRA.

The decision was taken after the Foreign Minister confirmed to parliamentarians that he had received reassurances about the neutrality of the organization, following the UN review, published in April 2024, into Israel's allegations that there were links between UNWRA’s staff and terror groups.

The UK was one of 16 donors to stop donating to the organization in January 2024. Other donors have resumed funding, the US not among them.