France has long been a global leader in international aid, funding initiatives that address poverty, climate, and health crises. Its commitment to solidarity is reflected in its innovative taxes, like the Financial Transactions and Airplane Ticket taxes, which fund crucial global development efforts. France also committed to the 0.7% ODA target, enshrining its role as a champion for vulnerable communities worldwide.
However, the French government has proposed cutting its Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget by 35%, nearly €2 billion—a massive rollback that would hit global health, climate action, and poverty alleviation programs hard. These cuts come alongside moves to end the earmarking of solidarity taxes, severing their historic link to global aid.
More than 50 civil society groups, including Global Citizen, Pandemic Action Network, Youth Climate Collaborative, Results, E3G, Accountability Lab, Action Santé Mondiale, ONE and Coordination Sud, have united to publish an open letter opposing this decision.
Together, we are warning that the cuts could leave millions without essential support and damage France’s reputation as a leader in global solidarity.
Join us to urge French leaders to maintain their commitment to global solidarity, and reverse the proposed cuts.