Policy Updates

On August 14, 2025, the German government announced an additional EUR6 million (US$7 million) in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan to address the urgent needs of over 23 million people, channeling the funds through the WFP and other NGOs.

The German government provided the additional funding from the budgets of the FFO and the BMZ. The funds, which will bypass the de facto Taliban government, are intended to provide food and maintain life-saving basic healthcare.

The support will primarily target returning Afghans and communities in border regions, with a special focus on women and children. The German government reiterated its call for the de facto Taliban government to lift restrictions on women's freedom of movement and work and to ensure unhindered access for the needs-based distribution of humanitarian assistance to all people in need.

On August 13, 2025, reports indicate the UK ministers are considering eliminating their commitment to ensure 80% of bilateral development funding focuses on gender equality by 2030, a portfolio that provisionally totaled US$15.1 billion in 2024.

The commitment was made by the previous Conservative government in 2023 and reaffirmed by Labour ministers in March 2025, despite overall development funding cuts from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI. Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated in July 2025 that the government would review past decisions. A FCDO spokesperson confirmed that a review of existing commitments was underway but reiterated that women and girls remain a fundamental priority for the department.

Critics from organizations including Bond and Plan International UK warned that removing the 80% target could compound the negative effects of recent US rollbacks on funding for gender and diversity programs. Sarah Champion, Chair of the IDC, emphasized that UK commitments are a lifeline for vulnerable women and girls, particularly when other donors are retreating.

On August 12, 2025, the UNDP, with US$10 million in funding from the Republic of Korea, launched the REVIVE project in Afghanistan to support over 350,000 people.

The project will run from July 2025 to July 2026 across six provinces: Badakhshan, Zabul, Daikundi, Faryab, Khost, and Nangarhar. The REVIVE project focuses on creating emergency employment, rehabilitating essential infrastructure, and improving community-level food security, with an emphasis on climate resilience and women’s empowerment.

UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan Stephen Rodriques stated that the project serves as a bridge between crisis and recovery by investing in local resilience and sustainable opportunities.

Chargé d’affaires of the Republic of Korea to Afghanistan Sung-hwan Moon reaffirmed his country's commitment to supporting the Afghan people, particularly women, children, and refugees, and highlighted that the project will help communities rebuild livelihoods and move toward a self-reliant future.

On August 4, 2025, the Gates Foundation announced a US$2.5 billion commitment through 2030 to accelerate R&D focused on women’s health, this pledge comes as many donor governments, including the US, are reducing their ODA budgets, placing a greater emphasis on private philanthropy to fill funding gaps.

The funding aims to address chronic underinvestment in the sector, noting that only 1% of healthcare research is for female-specific conditions beyond oncology. The investment will support over 40 innovations across five priority areas:

• Obstetric care and maternal immunization;
• Maternal health and nutrition;
• Gynecological and menstrual health;
• Contraceptive innovation; and
• Sexually transmitted infections.

The foundation urged governments, philanthropists, and the private sector to co-invest to close funding gaps. The announcement cited research showing that every US$1 invested in women’s health yields US$3 in economic growth and that closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by US$1 trillion annually by 2040.

On August 1, 2025, the French health ministry stated it could not legally intervene to stop the planned destruction of US$10 million in contraceptives held in Belgium, which were purchased by the USAID under former President Joe Biden and set to be destroyed by the administration of President Donald Trump, despite strong public outcry to intervene.

The US decision sparked criticism in France, with rights groups and left-wing politicians urging their government to halt the plan. France's health ministry, however, stated it had no legal basis to seize the products, as the products are not drugs of major therapeutic interest and no supply shortage exists in France. Multiple organizations, including MSI Reproductive Choices, offered to purchase the contraceptives at no cost to the US government, but their offers were rejected.

The contraceptives, mostly long-acting products like IUDs and birth control implants, were intended for countries in SSA and stored in Geel, Belgium. A US State Department spokesperson stated the decision to incinerate the unexpired products was based on the Mexico City Policy. The policy, reinstated in early 2025 by the Trump administration, prohibits providing assistance to NGOs that perform or promote abortions, though none of the products held in Belgium align with that description. The destruction was estimated by the US State Department to cost US$167,000.

On July 27, 2025, the foreign and defense ministers of Australia and the UK issued a joint statement in Darwin, Australia, reaffirming their shared commitment to the WPS agenda.

The statement, released ahead of the 25^th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, noted that the promise of the WPS agenda remains unfulfilled. The ministers expressed concern that women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by conflict and that their exclusion from peace processes prevents lasting security. The nations also highlighted their concern about the use of conflict-related sexual violence as a tactic of war.

Both nations committed to the full implementation of the agenda, including to:

• Promote women’s leadership in all areas of peace and security;
• Support women-led organizations and human rights defenders in conflict settings;
• Strengthen accountability mechanisms to address sexual and gender-based violence; and
• Collaborate internationally to advocate for the WPS agenda.

On 22 July 2025, Germany presented its third Voluntary National Review, reaffirming its commitment to accelerating implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the 2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York.

Represented by Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Bärbel Kofler and her colleague from the Federal Environment Ministry Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Germany emphasized the need for stronger international cooperation in the face of climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic shocks.

The German delegation highlighted national progress on SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 7 (renewable energy), attributing these achievements to broad participation from civil society, youth, academia, and local governments. Germany also hosted a side event on SDG 14 (ocean protection), which explored pathways to scale marine conservation and promote sustainable maritime economies.

Citing the UN’s 2025 SDG report, which warns that only 20% of goals will be met without acceleration, Germany stressed that global partnerships and inclusive implementation are vital to achieving the 2030 Agenda.

On July 22, 2025, the UK's FCDO released a self-assessment which revealed that 2025-2026 health spending will be cut by nearly 46% to GBP527 million (US716 million), with significant impacts on women's health programs.

The reduction is part of a larger plan to decrease the UK's ODA budget from 0.5% of its GNI to just 0.3%. The assessment indicated spending reductions in Africa for women’s health, health systems, and emergency response.

CSOs expressed concern over the lack of detail on specific program cuts, including those for SRHR. An analysis by the Guttmacher Institute showed a 30% cut in family planning assistance could cause 1.1 million more unintended pregnancies. Further cuts are expected, potentially decreasing the aid budget by over GBP3 billion (US$4.1 billion) by 2028.

On July 22, 2025, the US announced its decision to withdraw from UNESCO, citing concerns over the agency's perceived anti-Israel bias and promotion of divisive causes.

The US State Department stated the withdrawal, effective December 2026, was due to UNESCO's agenda and its admission of Palestine as a member state. This marks the third time the US has left the agency, having last rejoined in 2023 after a 2018 departure under the previous Trump administration. The US first left in 1984 due to security concerns around the Soviet Union before rejoining in 2003.

Alongside its cultural programming, UNESCO supports a number of education, SRHR education, literacy, clean water, and gender equality initiatives. It also helps set standards for ocean protection and AI ethics and protect cultural heritage and education in conflict zones.

UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay noted her regret over the decision but stated it was anticipated. She denied the accusations of anti-Israel bias, pointing to the agency's work on Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism. Azoulay noted that the reasons cited by the US were the same as cited in the previous departure, despite significant changes and reduced political tensions within the organization.

The withdrawal will impact UNESCO's budget, as the US contributes 8% of its funding. However, the agency has diversified its funding sources and stated that it does not anticipate any immediate staff layoffs.

On July 22, 2025, the UK's FCDO published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2024 to 2025, which CSO Bond warns of a concerning outlook for communities most in need of assistance.

The document, which contains forward-looking budgets for the current financial year (2025-26) and reported figures for UK ODA spending for 2024-25, outlines the first reductions in a phased plan to lower the ODA budget to 0.3% of GNI by 2027. According to Bond's analysis, the FCDO’s programme ODA budget is set to fall from GBP9.3 billion (US$12.6 billion) in 2024/25 to GBP8.7 billion (US$11.8 billion) in 2025/26. It will decrease further to GBP6.8 billion (US$9.2 billion) in 2026/27 and GBP6.2 billion (US$8.4 billion) in 2027/28, a total decrease of over GBP3 billion (US$4.1 billion).

Bond's analysis highlights that the cuts will disproportionately affect the poorest countries. Bilateral assistance to Africa is being cut by 12% (GBP184 million or US$250 million) in the current financial year. Funding is also being reduced for several countries facing major humanitarian crises, including Ethiopia (25% reduction), South Sudan (23%), and Somalia (27%). Budgets for Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, both stated government priorities, are also seeing cuts of 18% and 21%, respectively. The FCDO has pointed to a GBP85 million (US$115 million) crisis reserve, but Bond questions why previous spending levels were not maintained given the scale of the crises.

Thematic funding is also facing significant reductions. Funding for health ill be cut by 46% (GBP448 million or US$603 million), and the budget for Education, Gender & Equality will be reduced by 42% (GBP206 million or US$278 million). Bond's equality impact assessment found that 11 of the 13 programs proposed for closure were focused on gender equality or disability inclusion, and that the cuts will likely have negative impact on children.