Germany After Trump's crackdown: UN summit discusses development aid
From Monday, the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Seville will focus on how fairer living conditions can be achieved worldwide - despite the cuts to American benefits ordered by US President Donald Trump. The gap is huge. Trump has cut more than 80 percent of USAID's funding, around a quarter of all international development funding.
28.06.2025, 10:27
SDA
Germany could thus become the largest bilateral donor despite its own cuts. However, the new German Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD) already made it clear on her first trip abroad in her new office to Brussels at the end of May that neither Germany nor the EU would be able to close the gap torn by Trump. "But we still have to do everything we can to prevent the worst," said the 35-year-old. She spoke out in favor of a common European development policy.
Strengthening global team spirit
The conference in Seville must be about all forces pulling in the same direction, Alabali-Radovan now demanded in Berlin. "Seville must deliver concrete solutions for the enormous financial needs in the fight against hunger and poverty, for climate protection, global health and peace," said the Minister. But it is also about strengthening the team spirit in international work.
According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the aim of the meeting in the southern Spanish city of Seville is to reorganize the financing of the 17 global goals of the United Nations. To this end, the UN member states wanted to adopt a new agreement on development financing, the so-called Seville Commitment (Compromiso de Sevilla). The UN member states, with the exception of the USA, which is also not participating in the conference, had already agreed on this last week.
Demand for solidarity levy
In the view of the development organization Germanwatch, however, what is missing is a solidarity levy on environmentally harmful industries, based on the polluter-pays principle. These industries continue to make billions in profits at the expense of the people most affected by the climate crisis. "The German government must also advocate fair taxation of these industries in Seville," explained Germanwatch. The 17 UN goals agreed back in 2015 provide for sustainable development by 2030 in areas such as poverty, health, education, climate protection and gender equality. They are aimed at all countries and aim to solve environmental, social and economic challenges together. However, implementation by 2030 seems unlikely in view of wars, crises, climate change and budget cuts.
