GADN submission to the IDC's Inquiry on the Future of UK Aid and Development Assistance

November 2025

Response: In October, the International Development Committee (IDC) launched a new inquiry into the future of the UK’s international aid and development assistance work. The inquiry is set to examine how the UK can continue to deliver high-impact international aid and development assistance in the face of a 40 per cent cut to the UK’s aid budget.

GADN responded to the inquiry, highlighting the importance of a consistent focus on gender equality and the rights of women and girls in all their diversity as part of the UK’s aid and development work. Our submission further sets out stepping stones towards the government’s commitment to moving away from paternalistic models and towards genuine partnerships with countries across the Global South. Finally, we caution against the unregulated use of private finance as a panacea to fill the gaps left by global aid cuts and outline alternative proposals the UK should support to increase governments’ resources, such as debt relief and global tax reform.