France approves massive increase of ODA budget

French lawmakers have passed a bill pledging to allocate 0.7% of the country’s gross national income to official development assistance by 2025.

The passage of the new Program and Orientation Bill on Solidarity-Based Development and the Fight Against Global Inequalities last week fulfills President Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 campaign pledge to hit the global funding target and would result in a $7.6 billion increase in official development assistance over France’s estimated 2021 spending. Already the world’s fifth-largest donor, France’s development budget for 2021 is set at $19.2 billion, according to Donor Tracker.

The increase comes with specific allocation requirements. At least 65% will be given bilaterally and 25% must go to 19 priority countries, almost all of which are located in sub-Saharan Africa. The new bill also centralizes French ODA around three objectives, including the fight against poverty, malnutrition, and global inequality; the promotion of human rights; and the protection of public goods.

Gender equality cuts across each of the objectives and by 2025, it must be a significant objective of at least 75% of all projects.

Why this matters: The increased funding, with its particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa, comes as France is reconsidering its approach to the continent — particularly the Sahel region. In June, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane, France’s 5,100-troop military mission to combat Islamist extremism in the Sahel. At the same time, he has encouraged regional leaders to take more responsibility for their own security.

The increased ODA funding underscores France’s shift toward a more soft power approach.

The bill also sends a signal to other wealthy countries that might be considering shrinking their aid budgets. The French parliament passed the new bill just a week after politicians in the United Kingdom voted against restoring their country’s 0.7% aid budget.