Policy Updates

On June 20, 2024, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron attended the Gavi Investment Opportunity and AVMA launch in Paris, France, and pledged to reallocate GBP49 million (US$58 million) to Gavi’s newly launched AVMA through reallocated COVID-19 funding already committed to Gavi.

Co-hosted by Gavi, the African Union, and France, the event saw Gavi lay out its investment case for 2026 and 2030 and call for US$9 billion in new donor funding.

The UK did not make an early pledge to Gavi’s new replenishment, unlike the US, France, Spain, and some philanthropic providers, which committed a total of US$2.4 billion. Gavi is set to engage in an intense period of fundraising with a view to hosting a final pledging event in 7 to 12 months.

Since the creation of Gavi, the UK has invested GBP5.5 billion (US$7 billion) in the organization, helping to vaccinate over a billion children and save millions of lives.

The UK did not provide an early pledge to Gavi's 2026-2030 replenishment.

On June 14, 2024, the second day of the G7 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced nearly CAD687 million (US$501 million) to strengthen sustainable agricultural, climate resiliency, and foster gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.

Within the funding was CAD200 million (US$146 million) to IFAD, including:

• CAD100 million (US$73 million) to reduce poverty and food insecurity while strengthening climate resilience, with a focus on poor, vulnerable, and rural communities; and
• CAD100 million (US$73 million) as a repayable contribution to IFAD’s Private Sector Financing Programme to support investments in the agricultural sector in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.

Canada also announced new funding for the Indo-Pacific region, which is home to the largest number of climate-vulnerable people in the world. Funding included:

• CAD360 million (US$262 million) in repayable contributions to the ADB to establish the Canadian Climate and Nature Fund for the Private Sector in Asia to mobilize private capital toward inclusive climate change mitigation and adaptation projects; and
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) through the IDRC to build on Canada’s existing partnership with the UK to expand the IDRC’s AI for Development program for responsible AI innovation and capacity building in the Indo-Pacific.

Lastly, Canada announced new funding to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people, including:

• CAD100 million (US$73 million) in the International Finance Corporation’s Facility for Gender Equality, Resilience, Opportunity, and Inclusion Worldwide, which is expected to mobilize an estimated CAD470 million (US$342 million) in private capital for investments that empower women and promote gender inclusion; and
• CAD20 million (US$15 million) to TradeMark Africa and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation to help eliminate the gender-based barriers that prevent women from fully participating in opportunities afforded by the African Continental Free Trade Area.

On June 13, 2024, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, announced at the G7 Leaders’ Summit that the UK would provide Ukraine with up to GBP242 million (US$290 million) in bilateral assistance to support its humanitarian, energy, and stabilization needs.

The UK has provided a total of GBP12.7 billion (US$15.7 billion) in military, humanitarian, and economic support to Ukraine.

Sunak worked with partners to ensure a G7 agreement on using immobilized Russian assets to support Ukraine. The G7 ultimately agreed to provide a US$50 billion loan to Ukraine, which would use the interest earned on profits from Russia’s frozen central bank assets as collateral.

The UK was the first country to introduce legislation explicitly enabling us to keep sanctions in place until Russia pays damages.

On June 13, 2024, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, while attending the G7 Leaders’ Summit, announced a total of US$152 million in funding across a suite of climate initiatives.

GBP57 million (US$68 million) is slated for the UK’s Climate Compatible Growth Programme. The program helps to build climate-resilient infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia with expert UK support.

GBP35 million (US$42 million) was announced for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa, which aims to catalyze greater finance for sustainable infrastructure.

The UK is partnering with the World Bank and the EU to support African regional electricity, providing GBP15 million (US$18 million) to the Zambian side of a Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector that will link the Southern and East African Power Pools.

Finally, Sunak announced a GBP20 million (US$24 million) expansion for the Asia component of the joint donor AI for Development program.

On June 11 and 13, 2024, the UK Conservative and Labour parties released their election manifestos, containing limited references to international development, ahead of the national election on July 4, 2024.

International development did not feature prominently in either manifesto, instead being overshadowed by domestic affairs.

The manifestos showed both stark differences and intriguing similarities on the subject of international development. Both parties committing to maintain the merger of the FCO and former DFID into the FCDO. Labour committed to strengthening the development function within the FCDO. Both parties also committed to a return to providing 0.7% ODA/GNI, but only when the fiscal circumstances allow.

The Conservative Party’s manifesto committed the party to:

• Ensuring all ODA spending is allocated in line with a strict national interest test, notably without a definition of the test;
• Working with partners to deliver the UN SDGs and tackling poverty;
• Maintaining a focus on fragile states;
• Ensuring that MDBs deliver more funds to partners in need and work to deliver debt relief;
• Expanding international campaigns on girls’ education, women’s rights and reproductive health and standing up to those persecuted for their faith;
• Scaling-up high-impact, cost-effective global health interventions, including MNCH services, nutrition, and AMR while continuing support for Gavi and the Global Fund; and
• Maintaining climate leadership while retaining the current government’s international climate finance commitments.

The Labour Party focused on modernizing UK development assistance and committed to:

• Rebuilding Britain’s reputation in international development to ensure leadership;
• Taking a new approach to partnerships with the 'global South' based on mutual interest and genuine respect;
• Ensuring UK ODA is focused on a new mission to eliminating poverty and promoting sustainable lifestyles;
• Renewing expertise and focus on key areas, including supporting economic transformation, tackling unsustainable debt, empowering women and girls, supporting conflict prevention, and unlocking climate finance;
• Driving climate leadership, both domestically and abroad, and creating a new Clean Power Alliance to lead on climate action; and
• Improving the accountability and transparency of ODA spending by working closely with the ICAI to ensure the highest standards are applied to UK ODA spending regarding ODA effectiveness, transparency, and scrutiny.

On June 7, 2024, an analysis by Carbon Brief, based on data provided by the UK government via freedom-of-information, revealed that the UK government spent GBP1.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) on ICF during FY2023/24, marking the largest yearly ICF spend since 2011.

The amount represents an increase of GBP192 million (US$230 million) over FY2022/23. Despite the record funding, the UK will need to more than double its ICF spend in FY2024/25 and FY2025/2026 to meet the UK government’s commitment of disbursing GBP11.6 billion (US$14 billion) in ICF between FYs 2021/22 and 2025/26.

Funding classified as ICF in 2023-24 was used to support the reconstruction of low-carbon power supplies in Ukraine, assist humanitarian victims in Pakistan and Ethiopia, and to fund multilateral contributions, including support to the GCF.

According to Carbon Brief, 11% of the funding, or GBP199 million (US$238 million), resulted from the UK government expanding its definition of climate finance in 2023. Experts believe this figure to be an underestimate, as Carbon Brief was not able to include all reclassified humanitarian funding in their calculations.

On May 23-25, 2024, the G7 Ministers of Finance met at a summit in Stresa, Italy, where the ministers voiced support for contributions to the IDA, WHO, Gavi, and the Global Fund in the resulting communiqué.

The G7 ministers supported efforts towards a successful 21^st replenishment of the IDA by the end of 2024 through an ambitious policy and financing package. Notably, they did not give a concrete signal that the critical US$100 billion threshold requested by the World Bank will be crossed, nor any indication of the US$120 billion expected by African leaders.

The ministers reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening the governance and finance of the global health architecture and voiced support for refinancing processes of several GHIs, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO, and the Global Fund, and expressed support for the Pandemic Fund. The communiqué called on the donor community to coordinate efforts and increase investments in global health in line with their capacities to ensure sustainable funding and maximize the impact of available resources.

Following the summit, the C7 pointed out the G7's lack of ambition and financial commitment to international development, including climate adaptation. International civil society organizations criticized the lack of any reference to allocating SDRs to global solidarity.

On May 24, 2024, ICAI released an informative note on the UK's humanitarian response to Gaza, which showed that the UK has tripled the planned amount of assistance to the region since the outbreak of the crisis in October 2023.

The note did not make evaluative judgments on the UK’s performance. It complemented a report published by the IDC on March 1, 2024, on the UK’s humanitarian response to the situation in Gaza.

The note reported that over 35,000 people in Gaza have lost their lives as a result of Israel's military campaign retaliating against a violent attack against its citizens. 1.7 million people are currently displaced in Gaza, with 1 million facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

The note shows that between 2022 and 2023, the UK was due to spend GBP26 million (US$30 million) in ODA to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with a further GBP27 million (US$32 million) to be allocated for FY2023/24. The humanitarian assistance included funding to UNRWA.

In response to the crisis, the UK announced an additional GBP70 million (US$84 million) in assistance, tripling planned funding for the territories in FY2023/24 to more than GBP100 million (US$120 million). The UK Ministry of Defense has supported the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territories.

In November 2023, the UK revised its humanitarian strategy, initially focusing on diplomacy, advocacy, and flexible funding. Priorities included obtaining multiple humanitarian pauses and increasing humanitarian land access to Gaza. Two additional revisions followed the first.

Most of the support provided by the UK was flexible funding for partners with a long-existing presence within Gaza. In-kind donations to support shelter, core relief items, and logistical support were prioritized, as well as appropriate logistical support. UK humanitarian assistance focused on health support, food and nutrition, shelter, WASH, and support to address GBV and ensure child protection.

The note indicated significant difficulties in getting assistance to those who need it due to restricted access to Gaza. It also showed that the UK has presently put its funding to UNRWA on hold due to allegations, since disputed, that some of its staff were involved in the October attack.

The note finally indicated several potential future lines of inquiry that could be conducted by the ICAI, the UK IDC, or other investigative bodies. The lines included:

• What are the circumstances in which the UK would publicly state its assessment of whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law, and what would be the consequences of such an assessment;
• Given the critical role of UNRWA, what are the UK’s plans for further funding;
• What is the UK’s strategy for restoring adequate food and essential goods supplies to Gaza and ensuring sustainable humanitarian access;
• Should the UK continue to support the development of a maritime corridor;
• What preparations is the UK making to respond to the long-term harm suffered by the population of Gaza; and
• What planning is FCDO undertaking, with international partners, for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

On May 22, 2024, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a UK national election will be held on July 4, 2024.

Most political commentators and institutions had expected an October or November election and were caught off guard by the announcement. Polls indicate that the Labour Party will be the winner.

International development is unlikely to feature prominently in any of the main parties' election manifestos, with domestic issues around economic growth, the national health system and migration likely to dominate, alongside defense and security issues.

Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Shadow Foreign Minister David Lammy spoke following the announcement on Labour's aim to harmonize economic policy with its foreign policy, which they termed ‘securonomics’. Reeves called for the UK to be more energy self-sufficient and secure essential critical minerals supply. Labour leader Keir Starmer expressed a desire to see a clean power alliance set up with like-minded nations cooperating on green energy and critical mineral supplies.

Lammy noted that every ambassador would be focused on demonstrating how they have supported UK growth and security in their work. He also expressed willingness to work with partners in the global south to diversify the supply of critical minerals to the UK.

On May 20, 2024, UK Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced that the UK will provide GBP45 million (US$54 million) to support higher education for women and girls at the Education World Forum.

The program is slated to benefit 1 million young people. Funding will be channeled with partners across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The program will focus on removing the barriers preventing them from accessing higher education, including tackling GBV.

The initiative builds on the Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform program that began in 2016.