Policy Updates

On August 22, 2025, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp and fellow ministers from the NSC party resigned from the coalition government, following a dispute over implementing further measures against Israel, leaving the administration with a significant minority in parliament.

Veldkamp stated that his attempts to introduce more measures against Israel were blocked by the other parties in the cabinet, the VVD and BBB. The resignations included Veldkamp, Minister for Foreign Trade Hanneke Boerma, four other NSC ministers, and four junior ministers.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof canceled a planned visit to Ukraine to address the domestic crisis. He acknowledged the cabinet's inability to agree on a response to the situation in Gaza. The NSC's departure from the government followed the withdrawal of the far-right PVV party in July 2025, leaving the coalition with just 32 of the 150 seats in parliament.

Following the resignations, Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans will temporarily take on the role of acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On August 21, 2025, the JICA and the Government of the Republic of Angola signed a Japanese ODA loan agreement worth JPY39,105 million (US$263 million) to construct new transmission lines and substations to reinforce the transmission system in southern Angola.

The project aims to increase transmission capacity and stabilize the power supply in the region to enhance the living environment for residents and promote industrial activity. The funds will support the construction of a 220 kV transmission line, two new substations, and a 60 kV distribution line. The loan also covers the procurement of equipment to clear mines from the construction areas.

The loan has a repayment period of 30 years, including a 10-year grace period. The project, scheduled for completion in March 2030, is co-financed with the AfDB as part of the ACFA.

On August 20, 2025, Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation announced the establishment of new Partnerships for Sustainable Development, a strategic initiative to focus its international cooperation policy on key sectors with partner countries, the first of which was signed with Uruguay.

Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares highlighted that the new partnership model, based on the Law on Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, aims to create a more effective system for addressing global challenges. The first agreement, the Uruguay-Spain Partnership for Sustainable Development 2025-2029, was signed on July 22, 2025.

The Ministry is also finalizing similar partnerships with Egypt and Panama. These alliances are designed as collaborative processes involving public bodies, civil society, and the private sector to address shared priorities such as gender equality, social cohesion, and security.

On August 19, 2025, at a UN Security Council Open Debate on conflict-related sexual violence, Italy called for coordinated international action to address the issue, highlighting the over 4,500 cases documented by the UN in 2024 and outlining its commitment to survivor-centered support and accountability.

Italy stressed the need to preserve humanitarian access to ensure survivors can receive life-saving assistance, including medical, psychosocial, and legal support, without fear of reprisal. The statement condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure, particularly healthcare facilities, and advocated for partnerships between UN agencies and local women-led organizations to deliver multi-sectoral services.

The Italian delegation also emphasized the importance of gender-responsive security and justice sector reforms and survivor-centered accountability mechanisms. Italy reaffirmed its commitment to the meaningful inclusion of women and girls in designing and monitoring strategies to combat conflict-related sexual violence, as outlined in its Fifth National Action Plan on WPS, which was released in August 2025.

On August 19, 2025, Spain's MAEC highlighted its strengthened commitment to humanitarian action, noting it had tripled the AECID's humanitarian budget from EUR45 million (US$52 million) in 2019 to over EUR133 million (US$154 million) in 2024.

This increase resulted in a total 2024 humanitarian budget of over EUR181 million (US$210 million), a 7.4% rise from 2023, and placed Spain among the top 25 global humanitarian donors. Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares stated that the funding reflects Spanish solidarity and is a foreign policy priority. Albares highlighted Spain's presence in major global crises, including those in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as less-visible emergencies in Haiti and Mali.

In 2024, the AECID allocated EUR15 million (US$17 million) from its budget for specific emergency responses, such as for Hurricane Beryl and the migration crisis in Central America. The update on Spain's humanitarian funding comes as the number of people needing assistance worldwide has surpassed 300 million, with over 123 million forcibly displaced.

On August 18, 2025, in response to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide announced an additional NOK1 billion (US$98 million) to help Ukraine secure gas imports through the EBRD before the upcoming winter.

The new funding, provided under the NSPU, is in addition to a NOK1 billion contribution made in March 2025. The support addresses the severe damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks and is expected to secure heating and electricity for approximately one million families during the 2025-2026 winter season.

The funding will be channeled through the EBRD to the Ukrainian state-owned gas company, Naftogaz, for procuring gas from Western sources. This contribution brings Norway’s total support for Ukraine’s gas procurement to NOK4.6 billion (US$450 million) since 2022.

On August 18, 2025, Gunn Jorid Roset became the new Director General of the Norad, stating that in a turbulent world with other countries cutting assistance, Norwegian development assistance is more important than ever.

Roset emphasized that Norad's role is to ensure Norwegian assistance is used as effectively as possible to fight poverty and promote sustainable development, which she described as an investment in shared welfare and Norwegian interests. She highlighted Norad's work in both long-term development and humanitarian assistance, including its support for Ukraine through the Nansen Programme.

Roset brings 27 years of experience from the MFA, where she most recently served as Director of the Multilateral Department. In her new six-year term, she intends to continue Norad's close cooperation with CSOs, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.

On August 15, 2025, the Norwegian MCE announced the NOGER Initiative, backed by a NOK8.2 billion (US$803 million) mandate from the Norwegian Parliament to support emission reductions in developing countries through the Paris Agreement's Article 6 framework.

The NOGER Initiative facilitates voluntary cooperation, or carbon trading, between countries to achieve emission targets. This mechanism is intended to help both host and buyer countries increase their climate ambitions beyond their current NDCs.

By promoting this cooperation, the initiative aims to accelerate the global green transition and mobilize private investment in green solutions. The initiative builds on Norway's long-standing experience in international climate cooperation.

On August 14, 2025, the German government announced an additional EUR6 million (US$7 million) in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan to address the urgent needs of over 23 million people, channeling the funds through the WFP and other NGOs.

The German government provided the additional funding from the budgets of the FFO and the BMZ. The funds, which will bypass the de facto Taliban government, are intended to provide food and maintain life-saving basic healthcare.

The support will primarily target returning Afghans and communities in border regions, with a special focus on women and children. The German government reiterated its call for the de facto Taliban government to lift restrictions on women's freedom of movement and work and to ensure unhindered access for the needs-based distribution of humanitarian assistance to all people in need.

On August 14, 2025, the resumed 5^th session of the INC-5.2]{title="Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee"} in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded without reaching a consensus on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, though UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that all member states agreed to continue negotiations.

Negotiations to establish a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution concluded without an agreement. UN officials, including UNEP Executive Director Andersen and UN Secretary-General Guterres, acknowledged the outcome but emphasized that all countries remained committed to the process. The talks, which included delegates from 183 nations and representatives from over 400 CSOs faced significant differences on key issues.

The US delegation supported an agreement that allows for tailored, country-specific solutions to reduce plastic pollution while opposing prescriptive, top-down regulations. INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso and INC Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp reaffirmed their dedication to moving forward and achieving a future agreement.