Policy Updates

Each week, Donor Tracker's team of country-based experts bring you the most important policy and funding news across issue areas in the form of Policy Updates.

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EU provides US$290 million for social services in Latin America, Caribbean

March 21, 2024 | Sweden, France, Spain, Germany, EUI, Global Health | Share this update

On March 21, 2024, the EU announced a contribution of EUR268 million (USS$290 million) at the EU - LAC High-Level Event on Inclusive Human Development and Equitable Access to Health Products.

Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Uprilainen announced the investment, made in cooperation with France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden. The finance aims to mobilize EUR1 billion (US$1 billion) to support access to basic social services and rights and increase the transparency and accountability of government agencies.

The contribution was made in line with broader :abbrEU - CELAC cooperation, which aims to mobilize over EUR45 billion (US$49 billion) from 2024-2027 to support the SDGs and other efforts in the region.

Press release - EU Commission

Team Europe launches health partnerships at EU-AU event

March 20, 2024 | EUI, Sweden, France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Global Health | Share this update

On March 20, 2024, the EU and the Belgian Council presidency announced a joint contribution of EUR14 million (US$15 million) for the African Medicines Agency and launched three global health partnership programs.

The support, announced at the high-level event on EUAU partnership on Global Health for equitable access, comprised EUR10 million (US$11 million) from the Commission and EUR4 million (US$4 million) from Belgium. The support aims to advance the establishment of the African Medicines Agency, particularly as an end to strengthening vaccine production and health innovation.

In addition, the event marked the launch of three Team Europe initiatives on:

  • Sustainable Health Security, which aims to increase PPR among African partner countries, with a specific focus on AMR and other infectious diseases, and will receive EUR128 million (US$129 million) from the 2021-2027 budget;
  • Support to Public Health Institutes in Africa, which aims to bolster UHC and reduce health access inequalities and received an allocation of EUR50 million (US$54 million) from 2024-2027; and
  • Digital Health, focusing on reducing health disparities and advancing UHC and PPR through technological and practical innovation, which received EUR87 million (US$94 million) from 2024-2027.
Press release - EU CommissionPress release - EU Commission

Spanish government renounces approval of 2024 budget

March 13, 2024 | Spain | Share this update

On March 13, 2024, just a few hours after snap elections were announced to be held in the Catalonia region by mid-May 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that his cabinet renounced its approval of the 2024 general state budget.

The 2024 budget approval had previously been delayed due to the political stalemate resulting from the Spanish general elections held in July 2023.

Sánchez’ minority government, which relies on several political parties, including Catalan and Basque secessionist parties, to pass key laws, planned to present the 2024 budget bill by the end of March 2024. However, the new and unexpected election in the Catalonia region led to the renunciation. The Spanish government will now focus its efforts on the approval of the 2025 general state budget.

The 2023 state budget, in light of the government's decision, will continue to apply in 2024. Spain’s ODA spending for 2024 is therefore slated to remain roughly at the same level as 2023, which was approximately US$5.4 billion, or 0.34% ODA/GNI. The target of increasing Spain’s ODA/GNI to the DAC target of 0.7% by 2030, as underlined in the new Law for Sustainable Development and Global Development, may be more difficult to achieve due to the budgetary effects of the decision.

ODA envelopes managed by different Spanish ministers and administrative units, including MAEUEC and AECID, will also remain at the same financial level as 2023.

News article - El País (in Spanish)

Spain, Colombia co-host Global Forum on Cervical Cancer Elimination

March 5, 2024 | Spain, Global Health | Share this update

Between March 5th and 7th, 2024, the governments of Spain and Colombia, in collaboration with the BMGF, WHO, PAHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, co-hosted the First Global Forum on Cervical Cancer Elimination: Advancing the Call to Action.

Gathering hundreds of government representatives from donor and partner countries, multilateral institutions, CSOs, and health professionals from all around the world, the Forum took place at the AECID's training center based in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. It aimed to mobilize up to US$600 million to foster cervical cancer elimination worldwide by expanding HPV vaccine coverage and strengthening diagnostic and treatment programs within the most vulnerable populations.

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, who participated at the opening session of the Forum, announced a pledge of EUR10 million (US$10.7 million) over 2024-27 to support initiatives in LIC and MIC partners. Albares underlined that cervical cancer elimination is a priority intervention for Spain.

Press release - AECID (in Spanish)

Spain to co-chair UN working group on feminist foreign policy

February 17, 2024 | Spain, Gender Equality | Share this update

On February 17, 2024, the Spanish MAEUEC announced that Spain and Mexico will chair the United Nations’ Working Group on FFP+ in 2024.

The:abbrFFP+ group was launched in 2021 under the leadership of Spain and Sweden. It aims to foster gender equality at the global level, as well as to advance specific measures for a feminist agenda within the multilateral system.

In 2021, the Spanish government launched its Strategy for Foreign Action 2021-2024 and the Guideline for a Feminist Foreign Policy. Gender equality is among the top priority sectors of Spain’s development cooperation.

Press release - Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (in Spanish)

Spain pledges US$64 million to Mauritania for 2024-2027

February 9, 2024 | Spain, EUI, Agriculture, Nutrition, Global Health | Share this update

On February 9, 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Mauritania with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to strengthen development cooperation programs and human security in the Sahel region, green energy facilities, and migratory regulations.

Sánchez used the trip to sign the new Partnership Agreement Framework 2024-2027 between Spain and Mauritania. This new agreement, which accounts for an overall ODA budget of EUR60 million (US$64 million) to be disbursed during the upcoming four years, will be focused on the following areas:

  • Fostering rural development;
  • Strengthening public health systems;
  • Improving food security and resilience of rural populations;
  • Contributing to a human rights approach; and
  • Facilitating national strategies implemented at the regional level in the Sahel.

Mauritania is among Spain’s top development partner countries. AECID owns a regional office in its capital, Nouakchott.

Press release - PM's office, la Monloca (in Spanish)Press release - AECID (in Spanish)

AECID reaches US$398 million in refundable ODA in 2023

January 22, 2024 | Spain | Share this update

On January 22, 2024, AECID announced that it reached an annual financing record in 2023, with EUR372 million (US$400 million) spent on refundable ODA primarily addressed as loans to MICs and equity investments to public and private financial initiatives working on sustainable development.

Spain’s refundable ODA is channeled by FONPRODE, a financial instrument created in 2010 and managed by AECID. FONPRODE's ODA stream increased by 96%, or EUR182 million (US$198 million) between 2022 and 2023. According to AECID, FONPRODE has become one of the largest providers of Spanish development spending.

With the implementation of the Law for Sustainable Development, approved by the Spanish parliament in February 2023, FONPRODE is slated to be substituted by the new Spanish Fund for Sustainable Development in order to modernize and increase the effectiveness of Spain’s refundable ODA spending.

Press release - Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) (in Spanish)

Spain pledges US$107 million to gender equality and SRHR

January 22, 2024 | Spain, Gender Equality, Family Planning, Global Health | Share this update

On January 22, 2024, during a high-level event organized by GWL Voices in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that his government will provide multilateral organizations like UN Women and UNFPA with EUR100 million (US$107 million) through 2027 to foster gender equality and SRHR worldwide.

GWL Voices is an international think tank and network of women leaders committed to building a gender-equal international system. The announcement marked GWL Voices's first annual dialogue event, which was held under the title Women’s Turn to Reshape the Future: GWL Voices Dialogue.

GWL Voices took advantage of this event to launch a report, titled Women in Multilateralism 2024, to raise awareness about gender gaps in multilateral institutions and to call for a woman to be appointed as the next UN Secretary-General.

Press release - PM's office – La Moncloa (in Spanish)

Netherlands launches COP28 coalition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies

December 9, 2023 | Netherlands, France, Spain, Canada, Climate | Share this update

On December 9, 2023, during COP28, the Dutch government launched an international coalition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, comprising 13 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Research by the Dutch government found that half of all Dutch fossil fuel subsidies are tied to international agreements. This international coalition was created with the intention of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies while preventing greenhouse gas emissions shifting to other parts of the world.

The coalition noted three main pillars:

  • Transparency: all member countries publishing an overview of their fossil fuel subsidies by COP29 in 2024;
  • International agreements: identifying and addressing international barriers to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies; and
  • National action: encouraging international dialogue to share knowledge, develop national strategies, and join action to minimize carbon leakage.

In the coalition’s joint statement, various international organizations including the IMF, OECD, WTO, and World Bank were asked to develop a comprehensive methodological framework to identify the scope of international fossil fuel subsidies and to develop guidance for national phase-out strategies.

News article - Dutch governmentCoalition to Phase Out Fossil Fuels

Eva Granados appointed as Spanish State Secretary for International Cooperation

December 5, 2023 | Spain | Share this update

On December 5, 2023, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, appointed Eva Granados as the new State Secretary for International Cooperation.

Granados, born in 1975, is a politician and member of the governing PSOE. She holds degrees in political science and public administration.

News article - El Periódico (in Spanish)

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US$ amounts are cited directly from sources; in the absence of an official conversion, they are calculated using the previous week's average of the US Federal Reserve's daily exchange rates.

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