Policy Updates

On October 1, 2026, the French government proposed an 11% cut to core development disbursements for 2027, reducing the ODA Mission budget to EUR3.17 billion (US$3.6 billion) from EUR3.569 billion (US$4.1 billion) in 2026, and cut future commitment authorizations by 43%, or EUR1.9 billion (US$2.2 billion).

The ODA Mission funds the AFD, French NGOs, and contributions to multilateral institutions and global funds, including the World Bank. The cut amounted to EUR399 million (US$456 million) from the mission's 2026 budget. The mission formed only part of France's total ODA, which also included in-country refugee costs and EU contributions and was expected to reach approximately EUR12 billion (US$13.7 billion) in 2026; the 2027 total remained unclear.

Fabrice Ferrier, director of Focus 2030, told Devex that the cut to commitment appropriations was not binding, since the incoming government, to be elected in May 2027, could increase the amount, though he added that the cuts sent a discouraging signal at a difficult time. Experts anticipated the cuts would hit the AFD hard and could close health centers, schools, water programs, food aid projects, emergency initiatives, gender-based violence prevention programs, climate adaptation initiatives, and job creation support in recipient countries.

On September 24, 2026, France announced support for UNICEF's Child Nutrition Fund at a UNICEF event held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to mobilize international action against nutritional crises and famine.

French support funded a malnutrition prevention and treatment program in Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions, areas affected by armed conflict, though the specific moneraty sum is still to be announced. The program aimed to benefit 100,000 people, including 80,000 children under five and 20,000 pregnant women and mothers of children under two. It emphasized nutritional support during the first 1,000 days of a child's life, a critical window for development. Other donors committed to UNICEF to match France's contribution with an equivalent amount of funding, doubling the impact of France's commitment to Sudan's most vulnerable children.

On September 24, 2026, it was announced that government donors had pledged a total of USD$2.1 billion to the GPE at a UN General Assembly side event. This figure fell short of the fund's USD$5 billion target, as many past donors pulled back support, either partly or entirely.

The pledging event, part of GPE's "Multiply Possibility" campaign co-hosted by Italy and Nigeria, aimed to mobilize USD$5 billion in ODA and an additional USD$10 billion through domestic co-financing from partner countries, for a combined USD$15 billion to reach 750 million children in 96 countries by 2030.

GPE reported securing USD$2.1 billion in confirmed and anticipated pledges from sovereign and private donors, plus USD$1.4 billion in co-financing, including USD$1 billion from development finance institutions and USD$400 million from philanthropic and private-sector partners, bringing the total mobilized to USD$3.5 billion. Partner countries separately pledged USD$471 billion in domestic education spending through 2030.

On September 23, 2026, Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica signed the first flagship early recovery projects under the EU-led Team Gaza Initiative, worth US$49 million, in the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York.

The projects aimed to restore essential water and solid waste management services for people in Gaza and were implemented together with UNICEF and UNDP. Of the total, US$42 million, implemented with UNICEF, went toward increasing access to drinking water and reducing exposure to wastewater for approximately 1 million people in Gaza. The remaining US$7 million, implemented with UNDP and supported by other donors, funded waste collection, waste transfer, and a recycling pilot programme, contributing to public health protection and reduced disease risk, as well as limiting the impact of waste on soil, freshwater, and the Mediterranean Sea.

The EU-led Team Gaza Initiative launched in July 2026 in Brussels at the second Palestine Donor Group, hosted by the European Commission, with an initial amount of nearly US$1.1 billion. The platform coordinated ongoing and planned early recovery projects for the people of Gaza and brought together Spain, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, and Australia, alongside the European Commission and the EIB.

On Decembr 2, 2025, donors pledged US$1.2 billion at the annual UNHCR Pledging Conference in Geneva for 2026 operations, slightly above the 2025 pledge and covering nearly 18% of UNHCR's projected funding needs.

UNHCR's National Partners committed an additional US$350 million from private sector fundraising, bringing total pledges to US$1.5 billion. Several governments confirmed multi-year contributions extending into 2027 and beyond to strengthen UNHCR's long-term planning.

UNHCR Comissioner Filippo Grandi stated that early and flexible funding provided a lifeline to respond quickly to new emergencies and deliver solutions in neglected crises. Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, with substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. The European Union confirmed significant funding already committed for 2026, while Austria and Spain joined the group of governments pledging support to UNHCR.

Unearmarked funding pledged dropped to 17% of total pledges, nearly half of 2023 levels, while earmarked funding for specific countries and activities increased. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland pledged the largest amounts of unearmarked funding.

A year-long campaign led by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured EUR15.5 billion (US$18.0 billion) to mobilize investments in renewable energy across Africa, along with additional commitments in clean energy generation and household electricity access, announced on November 21, 2025.

The EU led the pledging effort with more than EUR15.1 billion (US$17.5 billion), including contributions from multiple EU member states including Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland, as well as significant bilateral contributions by European financial institutions and development finance institutions, and estimated mobilized private investment. Alongside the campaign, the African Development Bank has pledged to allocate at least 20% of their 17th replenishment to renewable energy.

The campaign, organized in collaboration with Global Citizen and with policy support from the IEA, aimed to drive public and private investment in supporting Africa's clean energy transition, expand electricity access, and promote sustainable economic growth and decarbonized industrialization. The effort represented a step toward accelerating the global transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy.

Von der Leyen stated that the investment would turbocharge Africa's clean-energy transition, providing millions more people with electricity access and creating opportunities for thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable clean energy.

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility secured endorsements from 53 countries and financial commitments exceeding US$5.5 billion launched at the COP30 Leader's Summit in Belém, Brazil, on November 6, 2025, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The TFFF Launch Declaration received endorsements from 53 countries, including 19 potential sovereign investors. A total of 34 tropical forest countries endorsed the declaration, representing over 90% of tropical forests in developing countries, including Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China.

Countries announced the following financial commitments:

• Norway committed US$3 billion over the next 10 years, subject to specific conditions;
• Brazil and Indonesia reconfirmed commitments of US$1 billion each;
• France indicated that, under specific conditions, it would consider committing EUR500 million (US$578 million) until 2030;
• Portugal committed US$1 million;
• Netherlands committed US$5 million for the secretariat; and
• Germany fully endorsed the TFFF, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz scheduled to discuss financial commitments with President Lula.

The TFFF is a shift in global efforts to protect and restore tropical forests. The facility will address a market failure while recognizing the value of and paying for ecosystem services provided by tropical forests to the world.

On October 10, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister, four days after accepting his resignation, amidst opposition from other political parties.

Lecornu accepted the reappointment and committed to ensuring France has a budget by the end of the year. President Macron reportedly granted Lecornu full authority for negotiations with political parties and for proposing government appointments.

Following his reappointment, Lecornu was scheduled to address parliament on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, to outline his budget priorities. The address was aimed at securing support from the Socialist party to avoid losing a no-confidence vote. The far-left and far-right parties had already filed no-confidence motions, with a vote expected on Thursday, October 16, 2025. The Socialists also indicated plans to file their own no-confidence bill.

On October 6, 2025, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned just hours after forming his new government, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history.

The resignation occurred shortly after Lecornu unveiled a cabinet that was almost identical to his predecessor's, François Bayrou, which prompted sharp criticism from within the governing coalition. In a statement, Lecornu said that conditions were not fulfilled to carry out the functions of prime minister and denounced partisan appetites that forced his resignation.

The event extends a period of political turmoil in France that began after French President Emmanuel Macron's snap elections in the summer of 2025 resulted in a fractured parliament. Lecornu's two immediate predecessors, Bayrou and Michel Barnier, were also ousted in standoffs over a proposed austerity budget. Following the news, opposition leaders called for the dissolution of the National Assembly or Macron's resignation.