Policy Updates

On October 8, 2024, the EU took stock of the progress achieved on its international partnerships since it revamped its model of cooperation five years ago.

The EU's intentions have been to move away from donor-recipient dynamics and towards more mutually beneficial partnerships where both the partners' and Europe's resilience are reinforced. An integral part of this shift is Team Europe, which brings together the EU institutions, the Member States, the European DFIs with the European private sector, aiming to increase the scale, impact, and visibility of joint European action.

This approach has been the main delivery mechanism of the EU's Global Gateway investment strategy, which is expected to mobilize up to EUR300 billion (US$331 billion) in public and private investments by the year 2027. Between 2021-2023, EUR179 billion (US$197 billion) in investments have been already mobilized. EUR50 billion (US$55 billion) of these funds were supported by the EC.

Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen positively reflected strong foundation of partnerships that were built during her mandate.

The communications highlighted achievements in the five priorities of the Global Gateway strategy:

• Climate and Energy: Mobilizing investments for climate resilience, access to clean energy and infrastructure, helping partner countries shift away from fossil fuels, supporting climate adaptation, supporting global food security, and creating opportunities for jobs and prosperity;
• Digital Transition: Supporting digital transition and deployment of connectivity and digital infrastructures, as well as digital skills. Additionally, allocating 10% of NDICI funding to digital actions;
• Transport: Investing in physical infrastructure to strengthen transport networks, as well as strengthening the regulatory environment;
• Health: Supporting the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic (via ACT-A and COVAX, supporting global health initiatives like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to fight Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Pandemic Fund. Adopting a Global Health Strategy, strengthening health systems, supply chains, investing in local manufacturing; and
• Education and Research: Investing 13% of the development budget (2021-23) to education. Flagship initiatives focus on education for girls, teacher training, and vocational education.

Additionally, it underscored work on:

• Fragile countries: Addressing the root causes of fragility and supporting the basic needs and livelihoods of populations, along the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus. Launching an Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises to see how to best approach fragile and conflict-affected contexts;
• Migration: Scaling up work to address root causes of migration by investing in partner countries’ migration management capabilities and signing migration partnerships in line with the Pact on Migration and Asylum. 10% of the international partnerships budget was earmarked for migration and forced displacement; and
• Multilateral engagement: Engaging with global institutions like the UN, the G7 and G20, and International Financial Institutions to shape global policies; and providing funding for international initiatives on global health, education, and equality.

On October 7, 2024, the EC's HERA delivered 5,420 doses of the mpox vaccine to Rwanda and is a proportion of the 215,000 doses donated to Africa CDC.

In addition to delivering vaccines, the EU and its Member States are also contributing to the WHO's global mpox plan and the African continental mpox plan, as well as supporting the Pandemic Fund.

The EU is the largest contributor to the Pandemic Fund with EUR427 million (US$472 million) committed. The Fund has allocated US$129 million for the 10 most mpox-affected countries, such as Rwanda. This funding will improve surveillance and detection of the mpox virus, enhance laboratory capacity, and train the emergency workforce.

On October 8, 2024, the South Korean MOFA organized the ODA Capacity Building Workshop for Local Government in 2024.

Participants from nine local governments, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and KOICA attended the workshop. In his opening remarks, Director-General Jonghan Park for Development Cooperation, MOFA said local governments as ODA implementing agencies should identify projects that fit their government’s foreign policy and strategy based on their characteristics and expertise.

The MOFA guides identifying, planning, and implementing grant projects for local governments. Furthermore, the MOFA is improving the screening process of grant projects in response to the increase in ODA projects to allow for an integrated and efficient use of the ODA budget.

On October 8, 2024, the EC announced EUR30 million (US$33 million) in humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in Lebanon.

The funds will provide urgent food assistance, shelter, and health care support. In total, EU humanitarian assistance has so far amounted to over EUR104 million (US$114 million) in 2024.

On October 8, 2024, the European Parliament agreed on the calendar for the hearings of the Commissioners-designate.

During the hearings, the European Parliament will scrutinize if the Commissioners-designate are suitable for the posts they have been assigned to.

They will take place from November 4-12, 2024.

On October 7, 2024, Norwegian CSOs and political leaders expressed strong concerns about the government’s 2025 budget proposal on ODA.

Despite a slight increase in overall ODA spending, the government continues to fall short of the agreed 1% of GNI for ODA, which has drawn significant criticism from various quarters. The government plans to allocate NOK52.9 billion (US$4.8 billion) to ODA, which corresponds to 0.92% of GNI.

Lan Marie Berg from the Green Party criticized the government, stating, that Norway has profited from the war in Ukraine due to rising oil and gas revenues, and should contribute more to humanitarian efforts. Henriette Westhrin of Save the Children also expressed shock at the cuts, especially given the growing global crises.

Dagfinn Høybråten from Norwegian Church Aid and Hjalmar Bø of Digni pointed out that over NOK4 billion (US$343 million) of the budget is being used domestically for refugee reception, particularly for Ukrainians. They stated that this should not come at the expense of international development assistance meant for the world's poorest. Jan Egeland from the Norwegian Refugee Council echoes this sentiment, highlighting that the government's actions contradict its claims of international solidarity.

The SV and The Green Party strongly opposed the cuts, with SV's Kari Elisabeth Kaski calling them unworthy of a wealthy nation like Norway. Both parties emphasize that the reductions are coming when the world is facing severe humanitarian crises.

Dag-Inge Ulstein, from the Christian Democratic Party and former Minister of International Development, criticizes the budget for prioritizing domestic refugee costs over international development assistance. Ulstein also condemns the NOK150 million (US$13 million) cut to educational development assistance, arguing that it continues a trend that has seen over NOK1.1 billion (US$94 million) reduction in the funding to education since his tenure. He emphasized that these cuts could have been avoided if the government had met its own 1% development assistance target. This is also underlined by the Conservative Party, which says that Norway, previously a leader in education assistance, risks setting a negative example for other donor countries.

The Liberal Party noted the global refugee crisis and the need for greater international support. They also criticized the significant cut to education, pointing out that this leaves hundreds of thousands of children without access to schooling and opportunities for a better future. However, the party praises the increased funding for climate adaptation but argues that more could be done, particularly through mechanisms like the Climate Investment Fund.

On October 7, 2024, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the first edition of the Hamburg Conference on Sustainability, a high-level event that addressed global challenges related to sustainability.

Cirielli highlighted Italy's commitment to promoting youth entrepreneurship through the Mattei Plan for Africa, which aims to foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Cirielli presented Italy's Digital Flagship with West Africa-Bankable Project Origination initiative, managed by UNDP and supported by the AICS. The project, carried out in collaboration with UNDP, aimed at the creation of digital ecosystems in Senegal, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Mozambique. Furthermore, Cirielli highlighted the AI Hub for Sustainable Development initiative, a significant project launched under the Italian G7 presidency. This initiative aims to strengthen local AI ecosystems in Africa, with a focus on crucial sectors such as agriculture, health, and energy.

Regarding funding access for youth enterprises, Cirielli highlighted Italian Cooperation's strategic partnership with the AfDB, which has launched innovative co-financing tools in recent months.

On October 7, 2024, Japan signed an agreement for a grant of JPY1.2 billion (US$8 million) to improve living conditions for vulnerable urban populations in Afghanistan.

The agreement aims to address challenges in Kabul and Herat, two rapidly growing provinces facing inadequate infrastructure and services, particularly affecting women, the disabled, and the poor.

The project focuses on rehabilitating infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, water and sanitation systems, and roads, incorporating community participation and disaster risk considerations. By improving living conditions, it is expected to support the health and sustainable development of Afghanistan's vulnerable urban populations.

On October 7, 2024, the Norwegian government presented its state budget for 2025, which includes an ODA budget of NOK52.9 billion (US$4.8 billion).

This amount remains largely consistent with the 2024 allocation, representing 0.92% of Norway's GNI, below the country’s longstanding target of 1%. Despite this, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing ODA in future years, with the goal of eventually reaching the 1% target.

In presenting the budget, Norway’s Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim highlighted the importance of the 2025 allocations, emphasizing that the government is providing a robust budget designed to address critical global challenges. Beyond targeting immediate needs like poverty reduction and development, the budget also aims to foster trust and strengthen systems capable of addressing long-term challenges.

Key focus areas:

The 2025 development budget places particular emphasis on humanitarian assistance, climate action, business development, multilateral institutions, debt relief and refugee-related expenses in Norway (which will increase by 8%). However, certain areas will see reductions, including:

• A 22% cut in support for refugees outside of Norway.
• A 6% reduction in funding for peace efforts.
• A 3.9% decrease in civil society funding.

Despite some cuts, several areas will receive increased funding:

• Development assistance to Palestine will increase by NOK280 million (US$26 million).
• Humanitarian assistance will rise by NOK300 million (US$27 million).
• Climate adaptation and food security funding will grow by NOK380 million (US$35 million).

Crisis areas:

Ukraine remains Norway's top priority in light of the ongoing conflict with Russia. The Nansen Program for Ukraine will see a significant increase in funding, with the budget rising from NOK75 billion (US$6.8 billion) to NOK134.5 billion (US$12.3 billion). The program's duration has also been extended from 2027-2030.

The budget allocated substantial humanitarian assistance to Gaza, addressing the severe needs resulting from the ongoing conflict. Similarly, additional resources are directed towards Sudan, where escalating hunger and humanitarian crises are pressing concerns.

Global health:

Norway’s 2025 budget emphasizes global health cooperation and preparedness, with a focus on enhancing the world’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats and antimicrobial resistance. Key initiatives include:

• Preventing infectious diseases and reducing child and maternal mortality.
• Strengthening SRHR.
• Expanding UHC.
• Enhancing national healthcare systems, particularly in addressing climate-related health issues, such as the spread of infectious diseases.

While the allocation for health in 2025 stands at NOK3.6 billion (US$327 million), reflecting a NOK103 million (US$9 million) decrease from 2024, this aligns with the government’s prioritization of other areas like humanitarian assistance and climate adaptation. Norway remains committed to long-term global health partnerships, including a reallocated contribution of NOK20 million (US$2 million) to UNAIDS.

On October 4, 2024, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot issued a joint statement condeming Russia's war against Ukraine and reiterating their commitment to Ukraine and its people.

They highlighted the upcoming Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine's 10-point Peace Formula which will take place in Montreal on October 30 and 31, with the aim of creating a roadmap with measures to support Ukrainian children who have become victims of the war. This effort is further facilitated through the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which is co-chaired by Canada and Ukraine, and receives support from France.

The statement also reiterated Canada's support for projects run by the UN, UNICEF, the WHO, the UNHCR, the WFP, and the CoE. France announced further financial support for the UN to this end, as well as support for Ukrainian CSOs.