In this context, Belgian cooperation had to adapt. Despite a 25% reduction in its budget, it continued its work with a clear objective: to preserve what is essential and focus resources where they can truly make a difference. This prioritization effort, carried out in close consultation with sector stakeholders, has made it possible to maintain the coherence of actions and remain faithful to the principles of partnership, listening, and mutual respect.
A strategic course in a changing world
The year 2025 also marked an important strategic clarification. Faced with a changing world and more limited resources, Belgium chose to refocus its efforts on priorities where its expertise can generate a lasting and tangible impact.
This choice is rooted in a strong conviction: investing in international cooperation and humanitarian aid is investing in prevention. Preventing crises, limiting their impacts, and strengthening resilience helps reduce human, economic, and security costs in the long term—for partner countries as well as for Belgium and Europe.
Four priorities at the heart of Belgian action
The 2025 report highlights Belgium’s activities around four major pillars.
Climate is a key priority. Its impacts primarily affect the most vulnerable populations, while also impacting Europe. Belgium is taking action by supporting the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, strengthening communities’ adaptation to climate change, and supporting the transition toward sustainable and inclusive food systems.
A concrete example is the support for innovative agricultural programs that develop more climate-resilient crop varieties: these innovations increase local farmers’ incomes while helping to stabilize global food markets.
Global health, as a global public good, is another central pillar. In an interconnected world, health crises quickly cross borders. Belgium works to strengthen health systems, develop local production capacities for medicines and vaccines, and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights.
For example, support for technology transfer in local vaccine production allows partner countries to become more autonomous in the face of pandemics, while strengthening global health security.
Stability is essential for resilient and inclusive societies. Belgian cooperation supports good governance, the rule of law, human rights, and local economic development. These elements help reduce inequalities, strengthen social cohesion, and prevent crises. Stability is also closely linked to migration dynamics and structural challenges such as poverty and climate change.
A concrete example is the support to a local company active in sustainable agricultural inputs, accompanied at different stages of its growth through Belgian expertise and financing. By strengthening a local value chain, this approach creates jobs, improves agricultural productivity, and reduces dependence on imports, thereby contributing to greater economic stability, improved food security, and a reduction in social tensions.
Finally, humanitarian aid remains indispensable in a context where needs continue to grow. In 2025, Belgium maintained its humanitarian budget at 170 million euros, with a large share of flexible funding. Its action focuses on the protection of populations, access to aid, gender equality, and the humanitarian–development–peace nexus approach.
A concrete example is the rapid response to Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean: thanks to flexible funding supported by Belgium, funds could be mobilized immediately, enabling humanitarian partners to provide life-saving assistance without delay. This rapid intervention helped limit the worsening of the crisis and reduce human and material costs in the long term.
Toward strengthened partnerships
In a world where multilateralism is sometimes being questioned, Belgian cooperation continues to rely on strong and inclusive partnerships. International dynamics, such as the Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, highlight the growing importance of new forms of cooperation, based on shared responsibility and broader resource mobilization.
Belgium fully embraces this approach by mobilizing all its partners—public actors, civil society, multilateral institutions, and the private sector—to address global challenges.
Building the future
If 2025 was the year of difficult choices, 2026 opens as a phase of construction. The foundations have been laid for more targeted, coherent, and effective cooperation.
This report reflects a constant commitment: to contribute to a more stable, just, and sustainable world, for the benefit of all.
👉 Read the 2025 annual report: Annual Report DGD 2025
