Udenrigsudvalget 2023-24, 2023-24
URU Alm.del Bilag 260, Alm.del Bilag 10
Offentligt
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Project 2025
An ultraconservative plan for expanding
extreme anti-gender laws and dismantle
the multilateral system
A summary of Malayah Harper's report “Project 2025: How the blueprint for the next
Republican administration may impact US foreign and development policy
on SRHR and gender equality”.
Commissioned by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU)
September 2024.
Executive summary
 SRSR, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 10: Analyse af Project 2025 og amerikansk politik ift. ligestilling og SRSR
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Background: RFSU’s study on Project 2025
Media attention in Europe is increasingly focused on the upcoming US elections in
November. This includes coverage of
Project 2025,
a far-right conservative and
Christian nationalist road map that aims to dramatically reshape the US federal
government. It is a product of
The Heritage Foundation,
an American think tank with
an advisory board of influential ultra-conservative and anti-rights individuals and
organisations.
While the impacts of Project 2025 domestically in the US have come under scrutiny,
far less attention has been given to its potential international impacts. The project
outlines a complete overhaul of foreign and development policy. The US is a strong
voice in the UN and the largest contributor to development assistance. The US is also
the largest contributor to global health. In turn, a large share of US global health
funding is channelled to initiatives and multilateral bodies that contribute to sexual
and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). To understand Project 2025's
implications for US and European ODA and foreign policy, RFSU commissioned an
analytical study. The final report is called
Project 2025: How the blueprint for the
next Republican administration may impact US foreign and development policy on
SRHR and gender equality.
The report zooms in on the devastating impact the
Project’s implementation would have on the multilateral system, global health,
gender equality, SRHR, and the rights of LGBTQ+ persons.
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 is divided into 4 “pillars”. The central element is “Pillar 1”, a 920-page
authoritarian policy roadmap called
The Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative
Promise.
It outlines plans to centralise power into the hands of the President, appoint
politically partisan courts and remove career civil servants in favour of political
appointees. The Mandate was drafted over two years and brought together 34
authors and over 420 contributors.
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Donald Trump and Project 2025
Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, saying he has “no
knowledge of the Project” and calling some elements “extreme.” However, these
denials have been questioned.
CNN reports
that at least 140 people who worked in
the Trump Administration contributed to the Project. According to
the Guardian,
29
of the 36 speakers in the so called Presidential Academy training videos worked for
Donald Trump in some capacity.
What are the suggestions for US foreign policy and the UN
system?
Project 2025 outlines how to:
Break down the multilateral order, including by defunding and potentially
withdrawing from the United Nations (UN)
Extend international anti-abortion policies and silence dissenting voices
through a massive expansion of the so-called Mexico City Policy (MCP).
Do a comprehensive restructuring of the US Agency for International
Development (USAID). At a minimum, USAID should return to the
agency’s 2019 pre-COVID budget level.
Remove all language on gender, abortion, reproductive health and rights
and anything inclusive of diverse gender identities from all materials and
programming of USAID.
Remove the 180 gender advisors across USAID.
In particular, Project 2025 proposes extensive rollbacks in US foreign and
development policies on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR),
LGBTQ+, equality, racial equity, climate, and environmental protection. The Project
stands out for its focus on anti-abortion messages. It outlines how to stop any access
to abortion information, comprehensive sexuality education and emergency
contraception. The global consequences extend far beyond removing access to
abortion and will significantly affect contraceptive access, maternal health and
gender equality programming.
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The changes proposed by Project 2025 in the US relationships with the UN are so
substantial that they would have considerable impacts on all UN member states,
including Sweden and the EU. It suggests to fundamentally alter American
diplomacy by using its voice to push anti-gender, anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+
agendas. UN organisations that do not comply risk being defunded. These are not
idle threats: under the last Trump administration, the UN Fund for Population and
Development (UNFPA) was defunded, the World Health Organisation (WHO) came
under substantial pressure, and the US withdrew from the Human Rights Council.
Project 2025 goes further than this.
Expansion of an extreme version of US anti-abortion
policies globally
The Project calls for a massive expansion of the Mexico City Policy (MCP), also
known as the Global Gag Rule (GGR). Since 1984, the MCP has been implemented
by each Republican administration and rescinded by each Democratic. Under the
original conditions of the MCP (which applied to Family Planning assistance only)
Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations that receive US funding has to agree not
to use the US funds or funds from other donors for performing, providing counselling,
referring, or advocating for safe abortion. Other partners (such as Swedish Sida)
cannot support these organisations in providing those services. ‘Gagging’ vast
numbers of civil society organisations in recipient countries limits the number of
partners on the ground, breaks down the infrastructure of local organisations and
weakens and silences civil society groups.
In 2017, President Trump reinstated and expanded the MCP, applying it to all health
assistance. Project 2025 goes further. MCP is proposed to be expanded to cover
ALL foreign development assistance. The name of the expanded policy is Protecting
Life in Foreign Assistance (PLFA).
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The PLFA would attempt to tie US bilateral government-to-government agreements,
possibly by having countries endorse the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD). The
declaration is a global anti-abortion manifesto that was developed in 2020 under the
first Trump administration.
The suggested measures would have severe and far-reaching effects beyond
substantially reducing essential service access.
The Project 2025 expansion of the MCP would cover:
All US foreign assistance: USD 66 billion (2023).
Estimations show
that
USD 51 billion goes to non-US Government prime recipients, the funding
most likely subject to the expanded MCP.
USD 30 billion annually to multilateral agencies. In the past, these
organisations, including the UNFPA, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB,
and Malaria (the Global Fund), and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunization (GAVI), have not had to certify compliance with the MCP.
USD 16 billion annually to humanitarian assistance, previously exempted
from the policy.
conclusions and recommendations
If fully implemented, the grave impact of Project 2025 on US ODA and foreign policy
is undeniable. It would negatively impact the lives and health of the poorest and
most vulnerable, particularly groups of women, girls and LGBTQ+ persons. Project
2025 should not be viewed as a short-term plan. Regardless of the outcome of the
elections, delivering on its core objectives will be central to groups of far-right and
Christian nationalists in the conservative movement.
RFSU encourages the Swedish and like-minded European governments, donors,
academia, the general public, and civil society to read about Project 2025,
understand what is at stake, and spread the word to others.
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RFSU’s recommendations to the Swedish and like-
minded governments:
Coordinate and develop a joint road map in preparation for a possible
implementation of Project 2025. There is an urgent need for a stronger
coordination and infrastructure for analytical work, information sharing, and
action around Project 2025. Elevate Project 2025 to a foreign policy issue
that impacts democracy, human rights and sovereignty.
Establish an emergency fund (or enhance an existing mechanism). This is
necessary to protect and grow all the programs, agencies and organisations
that are at risk of loosing US funding. Be prepared to fill the funding gaps,
including for humanitarian action.
Work closely with UN bodies and multilateral organisations such as the
UNFPA, the Global Fund, WHO, and Gavi, supporting them to prepare and
be vocal in defence of human rights and the impacts of implementing
Project 2025.
Work together with governments and other actors from the Global South.
Substantial support is needed for coordinated voices and actions from
governments and civil society in the Global South. Work hand in hand with
key allies and support like-minded governments to have a global voice on
human rights, gender equality and SRHR. Ensure that local voices are
empowered and at the forefront of shaping the laws, policies, and programs
that affect their communities.
By implementing these recommendations, European governments and civil
society will help proactively address the challenges posed by Project 2025 and
support human rights, dignity and equality for all.
rfsu.se • 08-692 07 00 • [email protected]
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