Policy Papers

The report, "Who Profits from the Global Gateway? The EU's new strategy for development cooperation" attempts to answer the question: is the Global Gateway prioritising the EU's foreign policy goals and its own economic interests over positive development outcomes in its partner countries? This report builds on previous research and provides a timely and comprehensive analysis of the Global Gateway, including its financing, governance and latest projects.

Israel’s war on Gaza is the latest and most brutal onslaught of violence against Palestinians in the 57-year-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Oxfam, along with 20 partner organisations, has reached 776,917 people with cash, food, and essential basic items, restoration of water and sanitation services, and provision of protection to the most vulnerable groups. 

Multilateral efforts are failing to adequately respond to critical global challenges, including the climate crisis and persistent poverty and inequality. While some have blamed the deadlock solely on rising geopolitical tensions between powerful countries, such a focus is incomplete. Rather, a key reason for failures of international cooperation is extreme economic inequality. Today, the world’s richest 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity.

Keeping global warming to below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels - as stipulated in the Paris Agreement - is essential if we are to avoid the worst impacts of the climate and ecological crisis. With people in the lowest-income countries already suffering disproportionately from the climate crisis, Oxfam recognises that, beyond advocating for action by world leaders, we have an urgent ethical responsibility to mitigate our own impact on the environment and ultimately on the very communities that we work with and serve. 

The last two years have had a devastating impact for the civilians impacted by the war. Uncertainty is a constant part of daily life. Attacks on essential services like water and electricity continue to make life difficult.

The February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation caused the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War. With no existing presence in the region and recognizing the strong civil society that had already begun responding to the needs of affected communities, Oxfam decided to implement a partner-led humanitarian response model. 

Given the immense financing needs to achieve development goals —nearly $4 trillion annually— Oxfam supports a robust and generous IDA replenishment. But reaching a record dollar amount only makes a bigger IDA, when what is most needed is a better IDA. A better, more impactful IDA must minimize the cost of finance, but more importantly catalyze investments that reduce inequality. After all, funds like IDA remain so crucial in part because we have collectively failed to address extreme inequality within and between countries.
 

We, the undersigned, are calling for a stop to funding from Development Finance Institutions to private for-profit healthcare providers. Mounting evidence shows that this funding is going to expensive out-of-reach private hospitals and clinics in low- and middle-income countries that are widening healthcare inequalities, exacerbating poverty and gender-based discrimination and violating human rights. Far from advancing progress towards Universal Health Coverage as governments have committed, this form of development finance is undermining it. 
 

As the newly elected European Parliament holds its inaugural plenary session in July and a new College of Commissioners takes office before the end of the year, there is a pivotal opportunity to shape an EU that prioritizes the well-being of future generations and the planet. Oxfam recommends focusing on three key priority areas in the new mandate: 

• Championing a strong and coherent international development agenda 

• Promoting international (humanitarian) law, humanitarian action and civic space 

• Leading the charge against the climate crisis, hunger and inequalities