Policy Updates

On January 28, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron committed EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion) to Mission 300, an initiative that seeks to connect an additional 300 million people from sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030 launched by the World Bank and the AfDB.

This commitment complements the EUR100 million (US$1.1 billion) allocation commitment made in May 2024, to support a transition to sustainable cooking methods by 2030.

On December 17, 2024, the WHO Academy in Lyon officially opened, marking a significant step in strengthening the skills and competencies of health professionals to achieve UHC and improve global access to quality healthcare services

The Academy will provide healthcare professionals worldwide with training in the latest medical advancements and help prepare for future health emergencies. The official opening was attended by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, French President Emmanuel Macron, the Director of Institut Pasteur, the Director of the Robert Koch Institute, and the President of the Lyon Metropole.

The new campus is in Lyon's Gerland biodistrict, surrounded by pharmaceutical companies and scientific institutions, such as the P4 laboratory and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. France has contributed EUR120 million (US$129 million) to the WHO Academy, and for its medium-term operations, the WHO plans to mobilize additional funding from member states, the private sector, and foundations.

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 24, 2024, France pledged the mobilization of EUR100 million (US$108 million) and the deployment of 100 tons of humanitarian cargo to Lebanon during the International Conference in Support of the Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty which was held in Paris.

The ministerial conference organized by French President Emmanuel Macron brought together Lebanon’s partner countries, the UN, the EU, as well as international and regional CSOs.

The conference aimed to mobilize the international community’s response to the Lebanese population’s urgent need for protection and relief and to identify ways to support Lebanese institutions, particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are crucial for the country’s internal stability.

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.