Policy Updates

On November 28, 2025, the Netherlands announced an additional EUR10 million (US$12 million) in additional emergency funding for Sudan through the UN Sudan Humanitarian Fund.

State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Aukje De Vries stated that Sudan is experiencing the largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 21 million people facing acute food insecurity and famine declared in parts of the country. Violence in the city of El Fasher and the wider Darfur region has exacerbated humanitarian needs, while delivery of humanitarian supplies is faced with logistical and administrative issues on top of insecurity. The announcement brought total Dutch support for emergency aid to Sudan to over EUR33 million (US$38 million) in 2025, including contributions to the Dutch Relief Alliance and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The Netherlands previously contributed EUR16 million (US$19 million) to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund. The country has also contributed EUR55 million (US$64 million) annually to the UN Emergency Response Fund, which released US$47 million in aid to Sudan in 2025. Over 9 million people have been internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict, with 4 million Sudanese fleeing to neighboring countries.

A year-long campaign led by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured EUR15.5 billion (US$18.0 billion) to mobilize investments in renewable energy across Africa, along with additional commitments in clean energy generation and household electricity access, announced on November 21, 2025.

The EU led the pledging effort with more than EUR15.1 billion (US$17.5 billion), including contributions from multiple EU member states including Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland, as well as significant bilateral contributions by European financial institutions and development finance institutions, and estimated mobilized private investment. Alongside the campaign, the African Development Bank has pledged to allocate at least 20% of their 17th replenishment to renewable energy.

The campaign, organized in collaboration with Global Citizen and with policy support from the IEA, aimed to drive public and private investment in supporting Africa's clean energy transition, expand electricity access, and promote sustainable economic growth and decarbonized industrialization. The effort represented a step toward accelerating the global transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy.

Von der Leyen stated that the investment would turbocharge Africa's clean-energy transition, providing millions more people with electricity access and creating opportunities for thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable clean energy.

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility secured endorsements from 53 countries and financial commitments exceeding US$5.5 billion launched at the COP30 Leader's Summit in Belém, Brazil, on November 6, 2025, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The TFFF Launch Declaration received endorsements from 53 countries, including 19 potential sovereign investors. A total of 34 tropical forest countries endorsed the declaration, representing over 90% of tropical forests in developing countries, including Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China.

Countries announced the following financial commitments:

• Norway committed US$3 billion over the next 10 years, subject to specific conditions;
• Brazil and Indonesia reconfirmed commitments of US$1 billion each;
• France indicated that, under specific conditions, it would consider committing EUR500 million (US$578 million) until 2030;
• Portugal committed US$1 million;
• Netherlands committed US$5 million for the secretariat; and
• Germany fully endorsed the TFFF, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz scheduled to discuss financial commitments with President Lula.

The TFFF is a shift in global efforts to protect and restore tropical forests. The facility will address a market failure while recognizing the value of and paying for ecosystem services provided by tropical forests to the world.

The Netherlands announced EUR25 million (US$28 million) in emergency energy support for Ukraine on October 28, 2025 to address Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aukje de Vries emphasized support for Ukraine's energy sector is crucial as winter approaches.

The EUR25 million (US$28 million) package includes EUR10 million (US$11 million) for emergency repairs and equipment, EUR10 million (US$11 million) for gas purchases abroad, and EUR5 million (US$5.7 million) for spare parts from Dutch companies and organizations.

The emergency support supplemented EUR58 million (US$66 million) in energy assistance already allocated for 2026, which is funding reserve equipment, repairs, and training programs for energy sector workers. The combined support formed part of the Netherlands' EUR252 million (US$252 million) annual non-military aid commitment to Ukraine for 2025 and 2026.

De Vries stated that military support remains crucial, but energy sector support is vital for maintaining Ukraine's economy and society during winter months.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aukje De Vries informed Parliament on October 7, 2025, that the Netherlands would reduce global health funding from EUR448 million (US$522 million) in 2025 to EUR384 million (US$447 million) in 2026, cutting EUR31 million (US$36 million) annually in core contributions to multilateral health organizations while maintaining funding to WHO.

De Vries explained in a letter that total core contributions to six multilateral health organizations would decrease to EUR142 million (US$165 million) in 2026. The EUR31 million (US$36 million) annual reduction would be divided equally among UNFPA, UNAIDS, the Global Financing Facility, Gavi, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Core contributions to WHO remained at current levels to safeguard its coordinating role amid declining donor funding.

The letter fulfilled a commitment made by Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel to Member of Parliament Danielle Hirsch to explain effects of cuts on SRHR policy. De Vries stated that the government could not calculate specific effects on SRHR because services are integrated into broad basic health care, but noted that long-term commitments to UNFPA Supplies for contraception availability and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which provides SRHR services in over 145 countries, would not be affected.

On September 15, 2025, a UN Women report revealed that progress on women's rights is stagnating and regressing due to conflict, aid cuts, and a backlash against gender equality, and called on governments at the UN General Assembly in New York to commit to renewed action, highlighting that the US$420 billion needed annually to advance gender equality is a fraction of the US$2.7 trillion spent on the military.

The report, a gender snapshot monitoring progress on the SDGs, found that 676 million women and girls lived near deadly conflict in 2024, the highest number since the 1990s. Women are also more likely to be affected by rising food insecurity. The report projects that climate change could push an additional 158.3 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2050.

Director of UN Women’s policy division, Sarah Hendriks, contrasted the US$2.7 trillion in annual military spending with the estimated US$420 billion needed to advance gender equality. The report also noted a digital gender divide, which if addressed, could lift 30 million women and girls out of poverty by 2050 and generate a US$1.5 trillion increase in global GDP by 2030. UN Women is calling for renewed commitments at the UN General Assembly, 30 years after the Beijing Declaration.

On September 5, 2025, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands appointed several new ministers on the recommendation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof, including David van Weel as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aukje de Vries as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

The appointments fill vacancies created after ministers from the NSC party resigned on August 22, 2025. The Dutch government has been operating in a caretaker capacity since June 3, 2025. The new ministers and state secretaries were sworn in by the King at Huis ten Bosch Palace.

Other key appointments included Foort van Oosten as Minister of Justice and Security and Jan Anthonie Bruijn as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport. Several officials who had been temporarily managing ministries, including Ruben Brekelmans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were relieved of their duties.

On August 22, 2025, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp and fellow ministers from the NSC party resigned from the coalition government, following a dispute over implementing further measures against Israel, leaving the administration with a significant minority in parliament.

Veldkamp stated that his attempts to introduce more measures against Israel were blocked by the other parties in the cabinet, the VVD and BBB. The resignations included Veldkamp, Minister for Foreign Trade Hanneke Boerma, four other NSC ministers, and four junior ministers.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof canceled a planned visit to Ukraine to address the domestic crisis. He acknowledged the cabinet's inability to agree on a response to the situation in Gaza. The NSC's departure from the government followed the withdrawal of the far-right PVV party in July 2025, leaving the coalition with just 32 of the 150 seats in parliament.

Following the resignations, Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans will temporarily take on the role of acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On August 14, 2025, the resumed 5^th session of the INC-5.2 in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded without reaching a consensus on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, though UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that all member states agreed to continue negotiations.

Negotiations to establish a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution concluded without an agreement. UN officials, including UNEP Executive Director Andersen and UN Secretary-General Guterres, acknowledged the outcome but emphasized that all countries remained committed to the process. The talks, which included delegates from 183 nations and representatives from over 400 CSOs faced significant differences on key issues.

The US delegation supported an agreement that allows for tailored, country-specific solutions to reduce plastic pollution while opposing prescriptive, top-down regulations. INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso and INC Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp reaffirmed their dedication to moving forward and achieving a future agreement.