The United Kingdom has pledged £41.5 million in bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan for the year 2023-24, focusing on accelerated family planning, girls’ education, and revenue mobilization, investment, and trade.
The announcement was made in a statement from the British High Commission in Islamabad on Tuesday. The new Pakistan Country Development Partnership Summary (CDPS), published by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, outlines a refreshed approach to the UK-Pakistan development partnership.
The CDPS highlights an indicative ODA budget of £133 million for the financial year 2024-25. The strategy signifies the transition from a traditional aid relationship to a partnership for mutual benefit, aiming to address Pakistan’s constraints to growth, including population dynamics, climate vulnerability, gender equality, and economic structure.
The annual report anticipates a significant increase in UK-Pakistan ODA in the fiscal year 2024-25, reflecting a rise in the FCDO’s overall ODA budget.
The CDPS programs prioritize gender equality, with 56% focused on promoting it, and 26% emphasizing disability inclusion.
The strategy aligns with Pakistan’s long-term development strategies and sustainable development goals, aiming to enhance human capital, foster resilient and sustainable growth, promote an open society, and support macroeconomic stability, private sector-led growth, and climate resilience.
Additionally, the CDPS encompasses programming under the UK’s Conflict Stability and Security Fund, facilitating cooperation on organised crime, regional stability, and hate speech.
The budgeted expenditure for 2023-2024 includes three key bilateral aid programs. The first is DAFPAK, which aims to improve access to quality family planning information and services, especially for underserved rural women.
The second, GOAL, focuses on enhancing education outcomes for girls and marginalized groups in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The third program, REMIT, supports reforms to ensure macroeconomic stability, favorable conditions for sustained growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and mutual prosperity.