The day has finally arrived when we get a look at the U.K. government’s long-awaited International Development Strategy. Keep reading for what you need to know.
Today we’re asking if faith groups can bridge the gap for Ukraine’s refugees, and looking for cooperation between Mexican and U.S. development agencies.
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After repeated delays and vague updates, the U.K. government has pulled back the curtain on its first development strategy since 2015 — when the United Kingdom was still part of the European Union, former U.S. President Donald Trump had yet to win a Republican primary, and no one could get tickets to Hamilton.
The U.K.’s development sector has had a very tough couple of years since the closure of the Department for International Development and two rounds of aid budget cuts. This development strategy aims to show what the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office hopes to do with 0.5% of gross national income committed for official development assistance. It’s also been kept a closely guarded secret since Devex reported on structural changes at the department.
“In an increasingly geopolitical world, we must use development as a key part of our foreign policy,” says Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. “Malign actors treat economics and development as a means of control, using patronage, investment, and debt as a form of economic coercion and political power. We won’t mirror their malign tactics, but we will match them in our resolve to provide an alternative.”
Here are a few insights from Will who has been closely following the issue.
•British investment and “expertise” are key themes. The first section of the strategy is dedicated to “British Investment Partnerships” in which British International Investment will have a key role, alongside new programs such as “British Support for Infrastructure Projects.” The government aims to deliver “honest and reliable investment, building on the UK’s financial expertise, and the strengths of the City of London.” We will be looking for more details on what British Investment Partnerships is and who runs it.
•Multilateral aid spending is set to be cut, and bilateral spend set to go up — though from a low baseline, having been whacked during the aid cuts.
Other key priorities are: women and girls’ education, empowerment, and ending gendered violence; humanitarian assistance; and a bucket lumping climate, green growth, and global health together.
• Some of the biggest unanswered questions are around thematic budgets — apparently still being worked out with the Treasury — how that money will be geographically spread when it comes, and of course, the actual commitment to fighting poverty. FCDO maintains it is committed to the cause — though the word “poverty” is only mentioned nine times in the document, compared to around 50 mentions of “investment.”
“The new strategy will ensure that our international development work brings benefit across the globe and here at home. Our strategy will deepen economic, security, and development ties globally, while delivering jobs and growth in both the U.K. and partner countries,” Truss says.
Watch this space: We will be publishing more details from the strategy.
+ Get caught up in all the latest news and analysis on FCDO and the U.K. aid sector.
Making it official
The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program has taken the decision to explicitly focus its programs on climate. Kathryn Hollifield, program manager at GAFSP, tells my colleague Teresa Welsh that though many GAFSP projects already had climate elements, this is the first time the program — created after the 2007-08 food price crisis and focused on building long-term resilience in agriculture and food systems in low-income countries — will require it.
Read: Global food security program makes climate focus official (Pro)
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Houses of the holy
“For now, faith groups and our communities are keeping the crisis from worsening.”
— Maciek Liziniewicz, pastor, LIFE Church WarsawMore than 6.1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, with the largest number seeking refuge in Poland. The large influx of refugees — whom the country has largely welcomed — has taken a toll on housing availability and affordability. By the end of 2021, the deficit in affordable housing units in the country had grown to 2.2 million.
Deepa Parent reports for Devex that faith-based groups have stepped up by renting hotels and flats and housing refugees in worship centers. But they warn the current situation is not sustainable.
Read: Polish faith groups battle to take in refugees amid housing crisis
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Data roaming
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley used anonymized mobile phone metadata for about 10 million mobile subscribers in Afghanistan to explore the link between incidents of violence and internal displacement. Among their conclusions: “violence involving the Islamic State (IS), while less frequent, causes significantly more displacement than violence involving the Taliban.”
Bridge building
The head of Mexico’s Agency for International Development wants more collaboration with her American counterparts. Laura Carillo tells Teresa that the two agencies are both working in Central American countries where concerns about migration are driving political attention, but “can only do so much when we try to do it isolated.”
Teresa’s interview with Carillo predated comments from Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which struck a markedly less diplomatic tone on the subject of development cooperation between Mexico and the United States.
“We have been waiting since President Donald Trump, asking they donate $4 billion, and as of today, nothing, absolutely nothing,” López Obrador said earlier this month, referring to his efforts to get the U.S. government on board with a tree planting initiative he has championed.
USAID: Mexican development agency head seeks closer cooperation
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In other news
There are more than a million suspected cases of COVID-19 and around 50 deaths in North Korea, but it's difficult to confirm cases due to limited testing capacity. [BBC]
India has stopped all exports of wheat amid growing global shortage due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. [The Telegraph]
Anna Qabale Duba, a Kenyan nurse, has won $250,000 for her work in ending early marriage and female genital mutilation in her country. [BBC]
William Worley contributed reporting to this edition of Devex Newswire.
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About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
