The World Bank has inaugurated a new regional hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to serve the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region. This hub is co-located with the World Bank Group’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional office, bringing the Bank’s leadership closer to country teams, clients, and regional partners. The relocation of… [Read More]
Archives for 2025
Port Performance Trends Reveal Regional Disparities Amid Global Disruptions
Port performance worldwide declined between 2020 and 2024, largely due to the Red Sea Crisis, operational challenges at the Panama Canal, and lingering pandemic-related disruptions. Despite these shocks, efficiency gains varied significantly across regions and income levels, highlighting uneven recovery patterns among global container ports. The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) shows that East Asian… [Read More]
Tajikistan’s Poverty Decline: Job Creation and Inequality Remain Pressing Challenges
Tajikistan has made significant strides in reducing poverty over the past decade, according to a new World Bank report. The national poverty rate fell from 56% in 2010 to around 20% in 2024, while the middle class grew more than fourfold, from 8% to 33% of the population. Between 2021 and 2023, approximately 35% of… [Read More]
Container Port Performance Index 2020–2024: Key Trends and Insights
Container ports play a pivotal role in global supply chains, managing the flow of merchandise and semi-finished products. The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) tracks the time container ships spend in port, providing stakeholders with a key benchmark for operational efficiency and sustainable port development. Efficient port operations not only reduce logistics costs but also… [Read More]
Zambia Expands Employment Opportunities with World Bank Digital Access Initiative
The World Bank Group has approved the Digital Zambia Acceleration Project (DZAP) to support the Zambian government in expanding access to the internet and digitally enabled services, with a particular focus on promoting inclusive digital participation. The project aims to empower women and girls, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable communities by enhancing their access… [Read More]
Agroforestry in the DRC: Transforming Livelihoods and Protecting Landscapes
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Forest and Savanna Restoration Investment Program (FOREST) is reshaping both landscapes and livelihoods. Launched last year with $290 million from the International Development Association (IDA) and $10 million from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), FOREST builds on the decade-long success of the Improved Forested Landscape… [Read More]
World Bank Boosts Support for Argentina’s Economic Growth and Development Agenda
The World Bank Group has announced an accelerated support package for Argentina, aiming to deploy up to US$4 billion over the coming months to advance the country’s reform agenda and long-term growth strategy. This initiative combines public-sector financing with private-sector investment and mobilization to bolster key sectors that drive competitiveness. The support will focus on… [Read More]
Republic of Congo Economic Outlook 2025: Boosting Living Standards through Better Capital Management
The Congolese economy achieved modest real GDP growth of 2.6% in 2024, marking a slight increase in per capita income for the first time since 2016. Despite this progress, the World Bank’s latest Economic Update for the Republic of Congo notes that these gains have yet to translate into a meaningful reduction in poverty. The… [Read More]
Strengthening Human, Natural, and Produced Capital to Improve Congo’s Economy in 2025
Congo’s economy experienced moderate growth in 2024, with real GDP rising by 2.6%, marking the first increase in real per capita income since 2016. While agriculture expanded due to local content policies supporting domestic inputs and manufacturing benefited from higher regional exports, oil production fell because of technical issues and lower global prices. This highlighted… [Read More]
Reducing Stunting and Enhancing Health in Lesotho: A Holistic Approach
In Lesotho, childhood stunting remains a persistent challenge. In 2014, about one in three children were stunted, and a decade later the rate increased to 35.6%. Stunting is primarily caused by chronic undernutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, compounded by poor maternal nutrition, limited access to clean water and sanitation, frequent infections, and… [Read More]
Pakistan Urged to Implement Bold, People-Centered Reforms to Tackle Poverty and Protect Vulnerable Communities
The World Bank has released “Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan’s Poverty, Equity and Resilience Assessment,” the first comprehensive evaluation of poverty and welfare trends in Pakistan since the early 2000s. The report shows that after a steady decline in poverty from 64.3% in 2001-02 to 21.9% in 2018-19, the national poverty rate began rising in… [Read More]
Türkiye’s Energy-Efficient Buildings Boost Savings and Enhance Quality of Life
Türkiye is taking decisive steps to enhance energy efficiency in response to a growing economy and rising energy demand, aiming to reduce reliance on imports and cut harmful emissions. Energy-saving measures are being implemented across public hospitals, schools, and government offices, including improved insulation, efficient heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, and solar panels. Supported… [Read More]
Morocco Sees Rapid Rise in Preschool Enrollment as Education Reforms Take Effect
In 2018, Morocco set a national goal to achieve universal preschool access for children aged 4 to 5 by 2028, prioritizing rural and disadvantaged communities with limited access to early learning. Over the six years since the initiative began, preschool enrollment surged from 45% to 80% nationally and from 33% to 91% in rural areas,… [Read More]
17 Countries Pledge Concrete Plans to Expand Electricity Access as Mission 300 Grows
Seventeen African governments have committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300, a partnership led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group aiming to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The pledges were made at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum, where national… [Read More]
Over 650,000 Zambians to Gain from World Bank Support for Sustainable Natural Resource Management
The World Bank is expanding its support for Zambia’s watershed management and forest conservation through the second phase of the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD II) project. The initiative aims to sustainably manage over 680,000 hectares of land and enhance livelihood resilience for more than 650,000 people in vulnerable communities within Zambia’s Miombo… [Read More]
Afghanistan Earthquake: Babies Born in Tents as Winter Approaches
In earthquake-devastated Eastern Afghanistan, babies are being born in tents as rockfalls and boulder-strewn roads make travel to hospitals extremely dangerous for pregnant women, according to Save the Children. An estimated 11,000 women in the affected areas are currently pregnant and may give birth in makeshift shelters in the coming months, where temperatures regularly fall… [Read More]
AI and Circular Economies: Transforming the Coconut Sector for a Sustainable Future
The International Labour Organization (ILO), through its Inclusive, Competitive, and Responsible Digital Philippines (Digital-PINAS) programme, presented a transformative vision for the coconut industry at the World Coconut Congress 2025 in Manila. During a session on Environmental and Social Challenges in the Coconut Supply Chain, the ILO highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI) and circular economy principles… [Read More]
EU-Funded Project Launches ‘Lost in Transit’ Report on Filipino Fishers in the UK
The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), launched the report Lost in Transit: Philippines Migrant Fishers in the United Kingdom Fishing Industry at the DMW-NMP Maritime Research, Education, and Training (MRET) Summit held on 25–26 September in Manila. Produced under the EU-funded… [Read More]
Kenya’s President Ruto Calls for Permanent African Seat on UN Security Council, Voices Support for Haiti
Kenya’s President William Ruto called for reforms to the United Nations Security Council, demanding at least two permanent African seats with full voting rights, including the power to veto, as well as two additional non-permanent seats. Speaking at the UN’s annual high-level debate, Ruto emphasized that Africa contributes significantly to the Security Council’s agenda, provides… [Read More]
Global Shipping Faces ‘Stormy Seas’ as Trade Slows and Costs Surge
Global seaborne trade volumes are projected to increase by just 0.5 per cent in 2025, marking the slowest growth in years, according to UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025, launched in Geneva. This slowdown reflects the impact of geopolitical tensions, new trade barriers, and climate pressures, which are reshaping shipping routes, increasing costs, and exposing… [Read More]
UNGA Hosts First-Ever Development Finance Summit to Accelerate SDGs
The United Nations hosted its first-ever Biennial Development Finance Summit, marking a historic step in global efforts to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the summit is unprecedented, highlighting its significance as more than just a regular meeting. The summit was attended by top political leaders,… [Read More]
WFP and Qatar Sign $10 Million Funding Agreement to Combat Global Hunger
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed a strategic agreement providing US$10 million in flexible funding over two years to deliver rapid, lifesaving assistance wherever hunger strikes, from sudden emergencies to protracted crises worldwide. Signed during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, this… [Read More]
ADB Launches First Health Initiative to Strengthen Turkmenistan’s Healthcare System
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $75 million equivalent loan and a $2 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) to enhance the quantity and quality of nurses and midwives in Turkmenistan. The Improving Nursing Quality and Capacity Project marks ADB’s first health sector initiative… [Read More]
