Calm before the storm

Belgium clearly positions itself internationally as a champion of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Unfortunately, the financial picture is less straightforward. The good news is that the total expenditures of the DGD, including spending on health and reproductive health, have increased.

However, this review is not a good-news story. In recent years, the political landscape has been marked by conflict and instability. While global needs are rising, several governments are making deep cuts to international solidarity budgets. Belgium, too, will impose significant cuts on international solidarity. The coalition agreement of the Arizona government from February 2025 announced that, starting in 2027, one quarter of the budget for international cooperation will disappear. This ODA report shows that the current expenditures of the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (DGD) are already insufficient to meet international goals. We therefore lack a stable foundation to weather this storm of cuts.

Results

Expenditures on health and reproductive health increased. The overall spending of the DGD increased as well. But there is less attention and less funding for the HIV response. Another notable trend is that, although there is far more funding available for both health and DGD’s total expenditures, the share allocated to RMNCH (Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health) is shrinking.

Attention to SRHR in humanitarian aid also weakened in 2024. In 2023, 34% of that budget went to sexual and reproductive rights; in 2024, that dropped to just 26%. In a world marked by instability, conflict, and growing inequality, this is troubling news.

The international situation

It seems as if the international community, Belgium included, is turning around and heading in the opposite direction just before reaching the finish line. Cutting essential care is simply not an option. It is therefore urgent that we accelerate our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The current global context calls for leadership from countries willing to push forward and advance the realization of SRHR for everyone, everywhere. Belgium and its regional governments have an important role to play as frontrunners. Our country can only fully assume that role if we also invest sufficiently in international solidarity and in SRHR ourselves.