Policy Updates

On November 4, 2026, Publish What You Fund released its 2026 Aid Transparency Index, which rated 20 of 33 organizations good or very good while Germany, the US, and the UK, the three largest ODA providers, became less transparent.

The AfDB ranked first with 98.8 points for its sovereign portfolio, and multilateral organizations held the top five places. Spain recorded the largest improvement in the Index's history: the AECID rose 57.7 points, from 5.0 to 62.7.

Germany, the US, and the UK provided over 40% of ODA in 2025, yet all three lost transparency. The US Department of State's score fell from 48.6 to 42.6, Germany's BMZ and GIZ together dropped 15.5 points, and the UK's FCDO lost 13.9 points.

On October 12, 2026, Germany pledged EUR10 million (US$11 million) during the World Health Summit in Berlin to improve access to family planning and maternal, newborn, and child health products through the GFF's Sustainable Commodities Access Program.

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 September 6, 2026, the far-right German AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election , securing 39 seats in the 83-member state legislature but falling three seats short of the absolute majority needed to govern alone.

The AfD, which Germany's domestic intelligence agency classified as "right-wing extremist," sought an outright majority to circumvent the so-called firewall, mainstream parties' longstanding refusal to enter into coalition with the party. AfD candidate for state governor Ulrich Siegmund stated the party would not pursue a minority government. Though the CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, does not appear to face an immediate threat, the election raises questions about its authority and the coalition’s ability to deliver its planned reforms.

The result reflects deep political and economic dissatisfaction in parts of Germany, extending beyond a regional outcome. Democratic parties, businesses, and CSOs face a growing challenge in responding to the shift. For international actors, the election signals a more difficult environment for defending international cooperation, development programs, and migration policies.

On August 20, 2026, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali Radovan announced Germany’s EUR100 million (US$116 million) contribution to ECW, which aimed through Hope Starts Here to mobilize US$600 million over four years to provide safe, quality education to 10 million children and adolescents affected by crises.

Alabali Radovan said education expanded opportunities, dignity, and life prospects, and that cooperation among governments and partners could reach millions more children. Germany remains ECW’s largest donor, while the contribution reinforces the country’s commitment to education during crises through the BMZ.

On August 17, 2026, Germany presented its complete draft federal budget for 2027, allocating EUR9.5 billion (US$11.0 billion) to BMZ, EUR587 million (US$681 million) 6% below 2026, while federal debt is projected to reach EUR1 trillion (US$1.2 trillion) by 2030.

The draft budget projects BMZ funding will fall to EUR9.2 billion (US$10.7 billion) by 2030, with a further 3% cut in 2028. Nevertheless, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Germany will remain a reliable development partner. Meanwhile, the BMFTR budget has increased 1% to EUR21.9 billion (US$25.4 billion) in 2027, while the BMG global-health budget has fallen 7% to EUR106 million (US$123 million). However, the AA budget for humanitarian assistance and crisis prevention rose 0.2% to EUR1.1 billion (US$1.3 billion).

Moreover, Germany has budgeted EUR16.2 million (US$19 million) for GPEI, EUR26.2 million (US$30 million) for UNFPA, EUR13.6 million (US$16 million) for IPPF, and EUR22.5 million (US$26 million) for GFF. Germany remains on track to honor its commitments to GFATM, Gavi, and CEPI. Germany’s IDA21 remains at EUR1.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) overall while annual disbursements are set to fluctuate.

Parliamentary debates are scheduled to begin in September, with the Budget Committee expected to conclude negotiations on November 12.

On July 21, 2026, German State Secretary Niels Annen launched the "Berlin Process for Food Security in the Sahel," including EUR130 million (US$148 million) for the Sahel Resilience Partnership in 2026, of which EUR120 million (US$137 million) will go to WFP and UNICEF.

The Berlin Process for Food Security in the Sahel is a framework involving regional partners and international organizations, including WFP, FAO, IFAD, and UNICEF. The initiative strengthens coordination and effectiveness of food security measures in Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad, in line with ongoing UN reforms toward more integrated and results-oriented working methods.

Secretary Annen announced EUR130 million (US$148 million) has been earmarked for the Sahel Resilience Partnership in 2026, of which EUR120 million (US$137 million) will go to the WFP and UNICEF. The funds support integrated approaches to strengthening resilience, transforming agriculture, and creating economic and social opportunities for young people across the five Sahel countries. The Sahel Resilience Partnership brings together the WFP, UNICEF, and GIZ to support vulnerable communities, complementing Germany's bilateral contributions in the region for agriculture, food security, and drinking water.

Six UN organizations in Germany have called on members of the German Bundestag to revise the 2027 federal budget draft, warning that EUR1.05 billion (US$1.2 billion) earmarked for humanitarian assistance, equivalent to 0.19% of the total budget, falls far short of what global crises demand.

Following the Cabinet's adoption of the 2027 federal budget draft, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, IOM, and WFP issued a joint statement urging the Bundestag to revise the draft during the parliamentary process. The organizations argued that the draft budget did not reflect the current global situation or Germany's international responsibilities.

The draft budget proposed further cuts to development cooperation, particularly in areas that BMZ prioritized in its new strategy. The budget line for crisis management, reconstruction, and infrastructure faced a reduction of nearly 39% compared to the previous year, which the organizations warned would significantly weaken basic services, including education, nutrition, and the reconstruction of health and water supplies.

The EUR1.05 billion (US$1.2 billion) allocated for humanitarian assistance in 2027 followed a halving of funding in the 2026 fiscal year, leaving humanitarian funding at a sustained low. The organizations noted that the consequences of cuts by Germany and other donor countries were already visible: withdrawal from crisis regions weakened structures and programs that alleviated acute suffering, contained crises, reduced the root causes of displacement and forced migration, and promoted long-term stability. Despite reform efforts to improve efficiency and coordination, UN organizations stated they would reach fewer people with reduced funding.

The organizations also cited the escalating conflict in the Middle East as compounding the impact of cuts, noting that it drove up the costs of assistance and food production through rising energy prices and restricted supply chains. They argued that, given Germany's economic strength and commitment to multilateralism and human rights, Germany should continue to play a central role in preventing and managing global crises, and that sustained and strong contributions to humanitarian assistance and development cooperation were essential, including in Germany's own interest in a more stable and secure future.

On June 30, 2026, Germany launched a South‑North Commission on Development during the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, co‑chaired by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, to convene about twenty high‑level members and inform international reforms, with first interim outcomes in 2027 and a final report in 2028.

Co‑Chairs Olaf Scholz and Laura Chinchilla will convene a balanced group of around twenty representatives from politics, the private sector, academia, international organizations, and civil society to co‑develop solutions and reduce polarization, with agenda‑setting and decisions shared equally between South and North.

The mandate emphasizes strengthening multilateralism and new partnerships, contributing to a post‑2030 development agenda aligned to the UN 2030 Agenda, and informing future directions for Germany’s development policy. Regular meetings will be complemented by regional consultations in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

The Commission will start work in mid‑2026, participate in major events including the Hamburg Sustainability Conference and the UN SDG Summit, present interim outcomes in 2027 in the context of the SDG Summit and the 50th anniversary of the first North‑South Commission, and deliver a detailed final report by end‑2028.