What Next for International Development?

Join us on 11th March from 14:00 - 17:00 for an in-person panel event, with the British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG), looking at the future long-term implications of recent cuts to foreign aid, including by the British and US governments. This event will bring together international development organisations and foreign policy experts to discuss the future of development, and how British donors and delivery partners should react to the evolving international agenda. This event will provide an opportunity for a broader look at this new landscape and how to create opportunities out of change. 

The recent executive order and resulting USAID funding freeze by President Trump's administration sent shockwaves through the international aid community. The abrupt suspension of funding has halted numerous humanitarian and development projects globally, affecting millions of people, though some programmes may have already been reinstated. Despite the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s commitment to maintaining current aid levels in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s decision, Prime Minister Starmer has now reduced ODA to 0.3% of GNI, re-assigning ODA funding to the UK’s defence spend. Broader aid cuts are already in place and expected across Europe, with France and Germany already having made significant reductions in their aid budgets last year. The sector faces immediate challenges, such as programme suspensions and potential layoffs, leading to difficult choices. 

However, with the role of the UK and its partners within this new world order currently in flux, there is an opportunity to redefine our models of understanding the world and our place in it. The question of how best the UK, along with partners, can make a positive impact on the world, is now more urgent than ever.