Policy Updates

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 2, 2024, France announced an additional EUR50 million (US$60 million) for Gaza’s civilian population at the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza.

France’s contribution will fund the humanitarian actions of UN agencies, NGOs, and direct French initiatives to address the humanitarian emergency. French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot called on Israel to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza.

In November 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron gathered key humanitarian actors, including the UN and NGOs, at the first international humanitarian conference in support of the civilian population of Gaza. France initially contributed EUR100 million (US$108 million). The second conference, held in December 2023, provided an update on the implementation of the financial commitments made in November 2023, and aimed to strengthen coordination between states, donors, UN agencies, and NGOs.

In 2024, Barrot announced an additional contribution from France of EUR100 million (US$108 million).

On November 19, 2024, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to make ocean protection a strategic joint priority during Macron's trip to Brazil.

The statement emphasized that Brazil will host COP30 on climate in November 2025, which coincides with the 33^rd anniversary of the adoption of the UNFCCC and the 10^th anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement.

France in turn is co-hosting, the next UNOC in June 2025, alongside Costa Rica. In response to the urgent ocean-related challenges, the UNOC is intended as a summit for action based on concrete commitments and a consolidated roadmap for progress. The conference will result in the adoption of the Action Plan for the Ocean.

In order to achieve SDG 14 and implement the 2030 Agenda, France and Brazil, as strategic partners, expressed their commitment to launch a global movement for the ocean and climate at the G20, in preparation for the 3^rd UNOC in France and COP30 in Belém. The objective is to develop a fair and sustainable blue economy enhancing the resilience of marine and coastal communities.

On November 11, 2024, sixty organizations and high-profile individuals signed an op-ed published in Le Monde regarding the cuts to ODA planned in the draft 2025 budget.

The article stated that in recent years France has shown leadership on international development by highlighting the commitments made by France towards international development. This included enshrining the 0.7% ODA target into law in 2021, initiatives such as President Jacques Chirac’s aviation levy, funding the global HIV/AIDS response in 2005, and Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande’s financial transaction tax which is earmarked for global health and climate.

The authors call on the government to protect France’s legacy on international development by reconsidering the draft budget’s plans to include a 35% reduction in ODA, as well as by ensuring the link between the above-mentioned taxes and revenues for international development is maintained.

On November 8, 2024, President Macron co-signed an op-ed defending solidarity taxes alongside the president of Kenya, William Ruto and Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.

On November 8, 2024, ahead of the world gathering in Baku for COP29 from November 11- 22, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared that France had exceeded its target of EUR6 billion (US$6.5 billion) per year of climate finance for the 2021-2025 period, a target set by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2020.

According to OECD data, France has provided EUR7.2 billion (US$7.8 billion) in climate finance to developing countries in 2023. EUR2.8 billion (US$3 billion) of total climate finance was directed to climate-change adaptation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that France is one of few countries considered to be providing its fair share towards the collective goal of mobilizing US$100 billion per year until 2025.

In 2020, Macron committed to increase France’s climate finance target for developing countries to EUR6 billion (US$6.5 billion) per year for the 2021-2025 period, with one-third dedicated to adaptation. Over the 2020-2023 period, France provided an average of EUR6.97 billion (US$7.5 billion) in climate finance per year.

Within the EU, France is the second-largest contributor, accounting for 31% of European climate finance provided in 2023.

On November 5, 2024, South Korean Director of Development Cooperation Jong-han Park and French Deputy Director for Global Affairs, Ministry for Europe Jean-Sébastien Conty had the 3^rd Policy Dialogue to share the current status of their policies on international development cooperation, explore ways to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific region, and exchange views on resolving global issues such as global health and climate.

They expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and African regions, agreeing to revise the MOU signed in October, 2012 between KOICA and AFD to accelerate cooperation between the two development agencies.

The following day, November 6, 2024, South Korean Development Cooperation Support Director Eun-young Jeong and Director for Development and Open Societies, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Christian Rogg had the 10th Policy Dialogue to discuss the progress of practical cooperation between ODA implementing agencies.

This is the first face-to-face meeting between South Korea’s MOFA, MOEF, and the UK FCDO since the signing of the Korea- UK Strategic Development Partnership in November 2023. They agreed to continue to explore ways to cooperate in the key areas of the strategic development partnership including climate and environment, health, and development finance.

These two meetings are expected to further enhance the effectiveness of international development cooperation activities as they include both ministries in charge of grant aid and loans, respectively. MOFA and MOEF will continue to strengthen cooperation with major donor countries and make efforts to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

On October 11, 2024, Focus 2030 published a report evaluating France’s development policy which stated that while France has contributed significantly since 2017, with a 36% increase in its ODA, this ambitious commitment appears increasingly fragile.

The report stated that since 2023, France has made a shift in its international solidarity policy, marked by substantial budget cuts. The evaluation mentioned that in 2024, the state budget saw a reduction of EUR742 million (US$820 million). The 2025 draft budget proposes an additional cut of EUR1.3 billion (US$1.4 billion), totaling EUR2.1 billion (US$2.3 billion) in planned reductions for international solidarity efforts.

The report warned that the 2025 budget signals a political retreat from years of diplomatic efforts, including the potential elimination of innovative financing mechanisms, such as the Chirac Tax on financial transactions and airline tickets, which has been instrumental in funding development.

The report demonstrated that when France's public development aid supports high-impact instruments and projects, it is amongst the most cost-effective public policy.

The report warns that diverting France’s attention and efforts would risk triggering a ripple effect among other donors, reducing France's influence worldwide and particularly on the African continent.

On October 10 and 11, 2024, the G7's Health Ministerial Meeting took place in Ancona, Italy. The discussion focused on three overarching priorities: Global Health Architecture and Pandemic Preparedness and Response, healthy and active aging, and the One Health Approach.

The G7 Health Ministers Communiqué, released at the end of the meeting, highlights the G7's commitment to supporting SDG #3 through universal health coverage, primary health care, and sexual and reproductive health. This also includes maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health, strengthening the global health architecture by investing in PPR, promoting regional manufacturing of health products, and equitable access to quality health services.

The communiqué emphasized the health-related impacts of conflicts with a reference to the crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan. Furthermore, in the communiqué, the G7 Ministries committed to continue to support Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund, whose replenishment processes will occur in the upcoming months.

The Civil 7 engagement group, a platform through which civil society can engage with the G7, reacted with a communiqué in which they expressed an appreciation for the re-commitment to ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria through robust support for the Global Fund in its replenishment next year. This support is crucial to ending the three epidemics as agreed upon in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Finally, the G7 Health Ministers also adopted a policy brief on the opportunities presented by AI for both healthcare providers and patients.

On October 10, 2024, France’s draft budget was presented to parliament, including a EUR1.3 billion (US$1.5 billion) cut to the ODA budget.

The cut represents a 23% decrease in the ODA mission compared to the 2024 budget law, from EUR5.7 billion (US$6.3 billion) in 2024 to EUR4.4 billion (US$4.9 billion) in 2025. The ODA mission accounts for about half of France’s total ODA and is the “core of French aid,” providing resources for bilateral and multilateral organizations and projects through grants and loans.

In addition, the draft budget intends to put an end to France’s innovating financing for ODA. Until now, part of the Financial Transaction Tax and the Solidarity Levy on Airplane Tickets was automatically allocated to the Solidarity Fund for Development each year, totaling EUR738 million (US$816 million), to support France’s financing for multilateral instruments, such as the Global Fund, IFFIm, Unitaid, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Partnership for Education. 100% of the proceeds of both taxes will now fund the general budget.

These innovative finance mechanisms had mobilized a growing amount of ODA funds over the years. The decision to remove them has been taken to respect a law passed in 2021 to restrict the use of pre-allocated taxes.

On October 4, 2024, in an op-ed published in Jeune Afrique, 80 heads of NGOs called for France to recommit to ODA after facing criticism for its retreat from supporting the world’s poorest populations, with proposed budget cuts threatening to reduce ODA by nearly EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion).

The tribune states that this move contradicts France's commitment to allocate 0.7% of its GNI to international solidarity, as included in the 2021 development law. This commitment remains unfulfilled, as current ODA stands at 0.5%.

The article highlighted the increased global needs exacerbated by climate change and conflict, emphasizing that humanitarian assistance and social development is crucial. The article argued that instead of cuts, France should explore alternative funding sources, such as the financial transaction tax, to reinforce its commitment to solidarity and support vulnerable communities worldwide.

The signatories include the presidents and directors of Médecins du monde, Oxfam France, Action contre la faim, Handicap International, WWF France, Care France, Secours Catholique-Caritas France, Plan International, Coalition Eau, Solidarités International, Sidaction, Solthis, Planning Familial, ONE, Equipop, Coordination Sud, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, AMREF, AIDES, and Global Health Advocates.