Policy Updates

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 24, 2026, the UK announced GBP254 million (US$344 million) in new funding to expand voluntary family planning access for more than 15 million women per year across more than 50 countries, aiming to prevent 14 million unintended pregnancies and more than 35,000 maternal deaths by 2028.

The funding flowed through the CHOICES programme, the UK's largest investment in sexual and reproductive rights. UK Minister for Development Kirsty McNeill announced the funding, which supported experts working alongside the UNFPA and the CHAI across more than 50 of the world's poorest countries, including conflict zones.

The investment expanded access to high-quality contraceptives and safe abortion products for millions of women across 54 countries. It also expanded access to innovative, life-saving medicines for mothers and newborn babies.

On September 23, 2026, it was announced that countries and partners had committed more than USD$715 million to reproductive health programs, including funding from the UK, Denmark, Norway, and the EIB, to help the UNFPA narrow a US$186 million funding gap for contraceptives across its 54 program countries.

The UK government pledged GBP204 million (US$270 million), the largest single commitment, followed by Denmark's US$54 million contribution. Norway committed NOK210 million (US$23 million), and the EIB provided a EUR200 million (US$232 million) guarantee.

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 21, 2026, during a CEPI side event at the 81^st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) Ethiopia, Norway, and the United Kingdom announced pledged total of US$240 million to support the CEPI's five-year plan to strengthen global epidemic and pandemic preparedness.

Norway pledged NOK1 billion (US$106 million), and the UK pledged up to GBP100 million (US$134 million). Ethiopia committed to continue its existing financial support for CEPI, without specifying a new amount.

The pledges will support CEPI 3.0, the organization's strategy for 2027-2031, which aims to systematically reduce the likelihood, impact, and cost of epidemics and pandemics. The combined US$240 million commitment reflected continued donor support for pandemic preparedness financing following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2026, the FCDO released new figures showing that the UK's ODA budget fell to 0.44% of GNI in 2025, with the world's lowest-income countries bearing the largest share of cuts under Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government.

The new figures showed that overall UK ODA decreased by GBP987 million (US$1.3 billion) in 2025, dropping from 0.5% to 0.44% of GNI. Funding to 'LDCs' and low-income countries fell by 6.7%, a reduction of GBP118 million (US$160 million), while higher-income countries saw their share of the UK's development budget increase.

On September 14, 2026, in a speech hosted by the New Economics Foundation, UK minister for international development and Africa, Kirsty McNeill, called for a 'mutual interest' approach to international development assistance .

McNeill argued that the concept of 'development' was outdated, and that universal challenges, including climate change, precarious employment, and violence against women, required the UK to work in partnership with partner countries rather than in a donor-recipient relationship. She said she would prefer her title to be 'minister for security through solidarity.'

She also reaffirmed the Labour government's campaign pledge to return UK ODA spending to 0.7% of national income, while declining to set a timetable, stating the government would work toward the target when fiscal circumstances allow. She also committed to building new 'agile partnerships' to address development challenges, and described herself as a strong believer in the quality of British development assistance.

On September 1, 2026, the UK’s Africa Minister, Kirsty McNeill, announced more than GBP50 million (US$68.1 million) in additional funding to contain Ebola in the DRC, bringing the UK’s total contribution to GBP78 million (US$106.2 million).

The package supports disease surveillance, frontline health workers, infection prevention and control, treatment access, community engagement, and safe and dignified burials. The funding is aimed to save lives, support affected communities, and reduce the risk of international spread as the outbreak continued amid conflict, displacement, and severe humanitarian needs.

Scottish and UK development organizations criticized Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to exclude newly appointed Minister for Development Kirsty McNeill from Cabinet on July 30, 2026, with critics warning the move signaled a reduced commitment to international development.

McNeill, who served as an executive director for Save the Children before being elected MP for Mid Lothian in 2024 and subsequently serving as Scotland Office minister, was appointed Minister for Development and Africa by Burnham. Unlike her predecessor Jenny Chapman, who held the same role and attended Cabinet, and fellow FCDO minister Hamish Falconer, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations, McNeill will not attend Cabinet. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will instead provide senior representation for development issues at Cabinet level.

Scotland's International Development Alliance welcomed the appointment of McNeill as Minister for Development and Africa but expressed concern that her exclusion from Cabinet represented a clear signal that the government failed to recognize the importance of global justice in addressing climate change and global conflict. Alliance representative Frances Guy urged the government to reinstate commitments to overseas development assistance and international climate finance. Oxfam, the SNP, and the Scottish Greens also criticized the decision.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was appointed as as UK Governor to the World Bank on July 27, 2026, signaling renewed UK leadership on international development and climate finance.

As Governor to the World Bank, Miliband will be taking personal leadership of the UK's engagement on international development and climate finance. In the role, Miliband will attend the World Bank's Annual and Spring Meetings, including the Annual Meetings in Bangkok in October 2026. The UK government stated that UK leadership at the World Bank will help drive international action on poverty, climate change, and economic stability, and address global challenges including food insecurity and energy price shocks.

Miliband also confirmed that international development and tackling the climate and nature crisis will remain priorities for the FCDO, recognizing extreme poverty and climate change as shared global challenges affecting security and prosperity in the UK and partner countries.

World Bank President Ajay Banga welcomed the appointment of Miliband, stating the institution looks forward to working with him to create jobs, mobilize private capital, and deliver development outcomes.