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The whole world is looking to the upcoming development finance summit in Seville as a way to set up for development’s future – one where the U.S. is a lot less of a powerhouse.
Canada might just buck a global trend by holding firm on aid spending, and a look at disappointment over the U.K.’s lack of nutrition pledges.
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From June 30 to July 4, development leaders from around the world will gather in Seville, Spain, for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, aka FfD4, an occasional but impactful summit that sets the global finance agenda.
. — slashing aid, rejecting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and fueling uncertainty with tariff threats. . After the Trump administration walked away from the long-stalled Pandemic Agreement, “suddenly it opened up new possibilities of making it legally binding," says Minh-Thu Pham of Project Starling.
Since 2002, FfD has shaped norms on aid and development, including the setting of the 0.7% of gross national income target for aid spending. At the 2015 Addis Ababa conference, countries figured out how they’d try to finance the then recently set SDGs, my colleague Jesse Chase-Lubitz writes.
This time, expect fiery debate on debt relief, trade, cuts to official development assistance, tax reform, and whether flashy private finance promises are really enough.
And with the U.S. taking a back seat, things could get very interesting. “It’s also an opportunity to have new types of coalitions,” said Jean Van Wetter of Enabel during a recent Devex Pro event. He ruminated that.
What is Financing for Development 4 and why is it a big deal? (Pro)
+ With debt pressures mounting and aid budgets shrinking, the upcoming FfD4 isn’t just another summit — it’s where development’s financial future could be rewritten. Ahead of the talks, Devex Pro is hosting a special online event series to unpack what’s really at stake.
, Iolanda Fresnillo, David Grigorian, Eric LeCompte, and Hannah Ryder will shaping the global debt conversation. There’s still time to save your spot.
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under the new government despite mounting fiscal pressures, downplaying speculation of aid cuts as other donors slash budgets.
“There’s no suggestion about the need to do cuts,” a senior Canadian official told Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, even while acknowledging “we’re in a world of huge pressures.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to keep a separate minister for international development, while other governments merge portfolios.
after years of “artificial” divisions between geographic and multilateral teams. The reorganization brings together everything from multilateral development bank relations to peace operations under one roof.
The official also with headquarters failing to match the field operations’ sense of urgency on reform. She described visiting U.N. country offices where agencies work in “stovepipes” with little effective coordination between agencies.
With the U.S. engagement declining, The official noted that countries such as Canada and Spain have an opportunity to use their funding influence to drive U.N. consolidation.
Canada’s G7 presidency priorities include private capital mobilization and infrastructure development — two areas where the new prime minister, who formerly served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has extensive experience. Carney has also that the official said will focus on “practical, action-oriented approaches” while strengthening alliance relationships amid growing global instability.
How did Canadian aid change under Justin Trudeau? (Pro)
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Last week, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres instructed his more than 75 top managers to n their departments and agencies and to re
The director-general of the U.N.’s Geneva office, Tatiana Valovaya, warned her staff in a memo seen by Devex that . “The reality is that we do not have enough vacant posts or expected retirements to absorb the full impact of this reduction, This means that regrettable, some serving staff may be affected.”
“We are ,” she added. “Our clear priority is to minimize the impact on serving staff to the greatest extent.”
For the time being, Valovaya noted: “No decisions have been finalized, and any proposals we develop here … will require review and approval by both Headquarters and the Member States. Until then, the situation remains fluid and uncertain.”
“I know this can be unsettling, and I want to acknowledge the stress and uncertainty it might be causing many of you,” she added. “Let me assure you that we are doing everything we can to manage this process with transparency and fairness.”
UN chief outlines plans for thousands of new job cuts
The U.K. government has declined to commit new funds for global nutrition, citing its ongoing spending review and defense budget hikes. accusing the United Kingdom of walking away from a legacy of leadership after the government passed on pledging at the record-breaking Nutrition for Growth summit. Though it co-founded UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund in 2022, , despite a parliamentary report urging the government to pledge at least £50 million ($67.55 million).
The U.K. defended its aid cuts as necessary to meet defense spending targets. But members of Parliament, including International Development Committee chair Sarah Champion, questioned whether development policy is being “held hostage by the spending review process.”
, even as global hunger remains stubbornly high, with 733 million people undernourished in 2023.
: UK’s reticence to pledge support for nutrition ‘deeply concerning,’ experts say
Facing rising costs and limited grant funding, U.K. NGO network Bond says it will be combining some roles, filling vacancies internally, and moving its staff to a coworking space rather than renewing its office lease. Bond CEO Romilly Greenhill says the changes were necessary to respond to the rising costs and .
“These steps will strengthen our financial position and enable us to continue delivering high-quality support for our members and the wider sector,” she says.
With FCDO slashing budgets, where will UK NGOs turn for funding? (Pro)
At this year’s World Health Assembly, one theme dominated: Donor cuts — especially from the U.S. under Trump — are wreaking havoc on global health programs.
“This is ,” said Dr. Bruce Aylward, an outgoing WHO assistant director-general. “But it’s not a virus [for] which we can rapidly develop a vaccine, protect our populations, and get back to business.”
Governments are scrambling to respond, but the gap is massive, Devex contributing reporter Andrew Green writes. “The , if not actually yesterday,” Aylward warned. Yet raising revenue or integrating services takes time.
“We have never seen the level of cuts at this accelerated pace,” said Matthew Kavanaugh of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute. “No government in the world that’s a low-income government can immediately find tens of millions of dollars on a week’s notice. ... That’s not possible.”
Can domestic financing solve the global health funding crisis?
Germany’s former finance minister, . [France 24]
U.N. chief António Guterres has called for after conflicting accounts over whether Israeli forces fired on civilians at an aid distribution site in Gaza. [BBC]
over its plans to cut more than 200 jobs and allegedly outsource roles. [Third Sector]
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