Policy Updates

On May 20, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper launched a UK-convened International Coalition to End VAWG, bringing together eight countries to scale up prevention work and strengthen action against domestic abuse, sexual violence, and online abuse.

The coalition was announced at the Global Partnerships Conference in London and aligns with the UK government’s mission to halve VAWG within a decade. Founding members include the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Jamaica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Australia.

Coalition members will share expertise and develop national action plans to prevent violence, protect women and girls, and hold perpetrators to account. The coalition will also support efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict and other forms of violence within humanitarian crises and that the UK will convene a summit in 2027 for members to set out further commitments and report on progress.

The launch coincided with the publication of the UK’s International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls. The framework will embed women and girls’ rights across diplomacy, trade, security, and development and included a commitment that at least 90% of FCDO bilateral ODA would focus on gender equality by 2030.

On May 18, 2026 during the World Health Assembly, Norway announced NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) for WHO basic emergency care program to strengthen life-saving skills at around 1,000 hospitals in five African countries over three years.

The program was developed by Laerdal Global Health in partnership with WHO and will be implemented with national health authorities in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. The program will build basic emergency medicine skills for health personnel, with a focus on district and regional hospitals.

Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre said Norway prioritized cooperation that strengthened health systems and supported life-saving innovation. Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said the partnership demonstrates how the UN, private actors, and governments can improve health services, noting that Norway prioritizes strengthening WHO through flexible funding and targeted partnerships.

Norway said the NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) support is additional to Norway’s NOK1 billion contribution to WHO investment round for 2025-2028, which aimed to secure more predictable and sustainable financing for the organization.

On May 15, 2026, Italy approved EUR1.7 billion (US$2.0 billion) in grants and soft loans under its 2026 development cooperation programming, including a new EUR15 million (US$17 million) emergency allocation for Lebanon.

Tajani chaired the second 2026 meeting of Italy’s Joint Committee for Development Cooperation, which approved the 2026 programming package. Tajani said development cooperation was a core tool of Italy’s foreign policy and said Italy would maintain a high commitment to transparency and good governance in the use of public funds.

Tajani said the 2026 interventions aim to respond to humanitarian crises and reconstruction challenges, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Sudan. Tajani said the new EUR15 million (US$17 million) package for Lebanon followed EUR10 million (US$12 million) approved in April and would focus on emergency support for communities and displaced people in southern Lebanon, including agricultural recovery in collaboration with FAO, with a focus on supporting Christian communities.

The Joint Committee also approved a development package worth more than EUR250 million (US$290 million), including interventions in Ukraine and Latin America, as well as contributions to efforts against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness.

On May 14, 2026, the US announced an additional US$1.8 billion for OCHA’s pooled funds and hyper-prioritized humanitarian activities, bringing total US support for OCHA’s reform and life-saving assistance programs to US$3.8 billion across 21 countries.

The US said the new funding builds on a December 29, 2025 Humanitarian Reset framework agreement with OCHA, signed in Geneva, Switzerland, alongside an initial US$2 billion pledge for country-based and crisis-level pooled funds. The US and OCHA said they had operationalized the agreement by accelerating disbursements and introducing stronger oversight and accountability measures, while mobilizing support from other humanitarian donors.

The US said the initial US$2 billion contribution to OCHA-managed rapid-response pooled funds will deliver life-saving assistance to 21.1 million people in less than four months and that the additional US$1.8 billion will continue to support pooled funds in 21 countries, as well as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

OCHA said the US$1.8 billion would not be subject to the Trump administration’s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy. OCHA spokesperson Eri Kaneko said no conditions had been placed on the funds and that the UN had not compromised on the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

On May 14, 2026, German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan announced Germany’s EUR100 million (US$115 million) pledge to Education Cannot Wait to support education programs for children and young people affected by war, displacement, and disasters.

Alabali Radovan announced the pledge via video message at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. Alabali Radovan said the right to education applied in times of crisis and war and said education helped protect children and young people from exploitation and violence and supported peace and sustainable development.

On May 13, 2026, the European Commission adopted the Global Health Resilience Initiative, a strategy to scale up prevention, preparedness, and response to future health threats and to address resilience gaps in health systems.

The European Commission said the initiative sets a strategic framework for future EU action to enable faster responses to health threats and crises through a strong multilateral system and cooperation with partners. The strategy aims to reinforce EU strategic autonomy and competitiveness and to support partner countries’ transition away from aid dependence toward health sovereignty.

The initiative has five priority areas:

• Promoting a more effective and less fragmented global health architecture
• Supporting resilient and country-led health systems, with an emphasis on primary health care
• Reinforcing international prevention, preparedness, and response, including improved availability of medical countermeasures such as therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics
• Diversifying global supply chains and manufacturing of key health products
• Bolstering societal resilience by fostering trust in science and countering health dis- and misinformation.

The Commission stated the EU has already mobilized EUR6 billion (US$6.9 billion) for health investments under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe instrument and had made health a key pillar of the Global Gateway, the EU external investment arm . The initiative includes nine flagship measures at national, regional, and global levels, with implementation expected to begin in 2026-2027.

On May 8, 2026, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation announced it has mobilized EUR7.1 million (US$8.2 million) in humanitarian assistance through the WFP to address urgent food security needs globally.

The initial package was channeled through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and formed part of EUR10 million (US$11.6 million) approved by Spain’s Council of Ministers in April. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the funding responded to rising humanitarian needs linked to protracted crises and escalating instability in the Middle East, further exacerbating food insecurity.

The geographic allocation includes EUR0.5 million (US$0.6 million) for Palestine, EUR0.7 million (US$0.8 million) for Lebanon, EUR2.8 million (US$3.2 million) for Mali, and EUR3.1 million (US$3.5 million) for Niger, earmarked for the response to the food crisis in the Tillabéri region. Spain said the contributions, managed through the WFP, would strengthen humanitarian response efforts and help protect access to food and livelihoods for vulnerable populations.

On April 29, 2026, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD52 million (US$38 million) for new international assistance programming to advance innovative financing, strengthen global impact investing, and expand blended finance solutions for partner countries.

Sarai made the announcement at the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Paris, France. The package includes five initiatives:

• Advancing Canada’s Leadership in Impact Investing Project, implemented by the Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development, funded at CAD1.9 million (US$1.4 million) over six years: Will strengthen standards, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among Canadian and international impact-investment actors
• Advancing Global Blended Finance with Canada’s Support, implemented by Convergence Blended Finance, funded at CAD7 million (US$5 million) over six years: To support market intelligence and the design of blended finance structures to unlock additional private investment in low- and middle-income countries.
• Allianz Credit Emerging Markets Fund, implemented by Allianz Global Investors, funded at CAD28 million (US$20 million) over 22 years: Will help scale an emerging‑markets debt fund designed to mobilize institutional capital toward sustainable economic growth and climate action, targeting climate‑aligned sectors such as clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and climate‑smart agriculture.
• SOURCE Platform for Infrastructure, implemented by the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation, funded at CAD4.6 million (US$3.4 million) over two years: Will strengthen the SOURCE platform, a global infrastructure project‑preparation tool used by governments to design, assess and manage high‑quality, sustainable infrastructure projects.
• Global Innovation Fund Growth, implemented by Global Innovation Fund Growth Ltd., funded at CAD10 million (US$7.3 million) over 11 years: Will help grow evidence‑based, high‑impact innovations that improve the lives of people in targeted markets in Africa and South and Southeast Asia, supporting enterprises with strong potential for commercial sustainability and social impact.

On April 20, 2026, Sweden announced a new support package of SEK15.4 million (US$1.7 million) for 2026–2028 focused on democracy and cultural heritage preservation in Ukraine.

Of the total, SEK8.7 million (US$1.0 million) was allocated for 2026. The democracy support component included SEK3 million (US$330,000) to the National Democratic Institute, SEK900,000 (US$99,000) to the Council of Europe, and SEK1.5 million (US$165,000) to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for 2026. The cultural heritage component included SEK10 million (US$1.1 million) to Gotlands Museum for 2026–2028.

Sweden stated the package built on its long-term efforts to strengthen Ukraine's resilience and democratic development.

On April 20, 2026, Norway announced NOK100 million (US$11 million) in budget support to Palestine to help maintain basic public services, including education, and ensure the payment of salaries to government employees.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide made the announcement during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels, where Eide also chaired a meeting of the Palestine Aid and Liaison Group together with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The budget support comes amid an acute economic crisis in Palestine, exacerbated by movement restrictions and violence, which have severely strained public finances and forced drastic cuts to the state budget, leaving public employees including teachers, health workers, and police receiving only partial salaries.

Norway stated that budget support would help provide financial stability and ensure the Palestinian population continued to receive health care and education, while calling on other countries to contribute. Norway's planned support to Palestine, including to Palestinian refugees, will be approximately NOK1 billion (US$110 million) in 2026.