The Localize to Realize (L2R) joint programme, led by the United Nations Philippines in partnership with government, private sector, and communities, has concluded in Surigao City, leaving behind a strong model for aligning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the needs of vulnerable groups such as the Sama Bajau and informal settler families (ISFs). Implemented… [Read More]
Archives for 2025
My Journey to Empowering Youth Participation in Decision-Making
At the age of thirteen, my journey toward youth participation began when UNICEF’s Retorno a la Alegría strategy reached my neighborhood. The program trained adolescent volunteers to support children facing difficult circumstances, and for me, it was a turning point. It gave me more than just a safe space—it showed me that my voice mattered…. [Read More]
UN Resident Coordinators Driving Development Impact in Nepal and Panama
At the recent Financing for Development Summit in Seville, UN Resident Coordinators Hanaa Singer-Hamdy of Nepal and Ana Graça of Panama highlighted how the UN is driving impact at the country level by forging partnerships, strengthening financing ecosystems, and advancing inclusive development solutions. Their work demonstrates the crucial role Resident Coordinators play in ensuring that… [Read More]
UNDP Launches Young Africa Innovates Programme Outreach in Senior High Schools
Innovation holds the potential to transform communities and create new opportunities for future generations, but to be impactful, it must be inclusive. Recognizing this, the Young Africa Innovates (YAI) programme—implemented by UNDP in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Education and funded by the Mastercard Foundation—has launched a school outreach initiative to engage and support young… [Read More]
Republic of Congo, AfDB Sign $602,000 Grant Deal to Rebase National Accounts
The Government of the Republic of Congo has signed a $602,000 grant agreement with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) to rebase its national accounts, a move aimed at modernising the country’s economic statistics and improving fiscal transparency. The agreement was signed on August 4 in Brazzaville by Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration… [Read More]
Namibia Adopts ICT Initiative for Remote Monitoring of Development Projects
Namibia has officially joined 37 other African countries in adopting advanced technology for development project management through the launch of the Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RASME) project. The initiative was unveiled in Windhoek by senior government officials in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The RASME platform represents a transformative shift in… [Read More]
Coventry Student’s £30,000 Scholarship Aims to Tackle Global Poverty
Coventry Student Secures Prestigious Scholarship to Combat Global Inequality Eighteen-year-old Nikita Lal has been awarded a life-changing £30,000 scholarship to study Global Financial Planning at Coventry University. Her ambition is to tackle global financial inequalities and reduce poverty through enhanced financial literacy. A Vision for Financial Empowerment Nikita’s passion for finance stems from its potential… [Read More]
Chad’s Opposition Leader Succès Masra Sentenced to 20 Years Amidst Political Crackdown
Opposition Leader Sentenced to Two Decades in Chad Chad’s main opposition leader, Succès Masra, has been handed a 20-year prison sentence by a criminal court in Ndjamena. Human Rights Watch condemned the verdict, labeling the charges as politically motivated and a severe blow to democratic freedoms in the country. Masra, a former prime minister and… [Read More]
India’s Extreme Poverty Plummets to 5.3% as World Bank Revises Global Benchmarks
The World Bank has released a report indicating a significant decline in extreme poverty in India, with the rate dropping to 5.3% between 2011-12 and 2022-23. This reduction, which saw the number of people in extreme poverty fall from 344.47 million to 75.24 million, occurred even as the World Bank revised its global poverty threshold… [Read More]
State Department’s Human Rights Report Scaled Back, Critics Say
The State Department has released its annual human rights report, but critics argue the document has been significantly scaled back, omitting details on abuses in politically allied countries while intensifying criticism of nations that have clashed with the current administration. The report, delayed for months, has been described as "streamlined" by officials, but human rights… [Read More]
UNDP and UNDRR Join EU to Strengthen Caribbean Climate and Crisis Resilience
The European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) have launched a four-year initiative under the European Union‑Caribbean‑Resilient Programme (EU‑CA-RES), supported by a €4 million EU grant. The programme aims to strengthen early warning systems and build recovery capacities across Caribbean nations, helping governments, communities,… [Read More]
MDA Invests $560K+ to Strengthen Meat Processing Workforce and Education
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded over $560,000 in grants to enhance workforce development and hands-on training in meat processing across the state. This funding is distributed through two programs: the Meat Processing Train and Retain Grant program and the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Meat Education and Training (MEAT) Grant program,… [Read More]
Kauffman Foundation Launches New Funding to Empower Creative Entrepreneurs
Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) has received a $250,000 Capacity Building grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to expand and strengthen its Artist INC and Artist Leadership Fellows programs. This two-year investment aims to bolster artist-led entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic resilience across Kansas City and M-AAA’s six-state region, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma,… [Read More]
Met Éireann Awards €2.8 Million to Advance Climate and Flood Forecasting Research
Met Éireann has announced €2.8 million in funding for six new university research projects aimed at advancing climate services and developing improved flood forecasting models. These awards, made through the Met Éireann Research Call 2024, target innovative initiatives addressing climate change, extreme weather events, and environmental sustainability. The research forms part of Met Éireann’s Weather… [Read More]
Shivalik Small Finance Bank Secures INR 100 Crore Equity Funding Led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, Japan
Shivalik Small Finance Bank, India’s first bank to transition from an urban cooperative bank, has successfully raised INR 100 crore in equity capital. The funding round was led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), with participation from existing investors including Accel, Quona Capital, Lightspeed, and… [Read More]
$23 Million Granted to Improve Learning Environments in Under-Resourced Schools
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $23 million in funding for four under-resourced school districts across New York State to improve learning environments under the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. Administered through the Clean Green Schools Program by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the initiative aims… [Read More]
How Nuclear Technology is Revolutionizing the Fight Against Seafood Fraud
Deceptive practices in the seafood industry, from mislabeled fish to hidden additives, are threatening livelihoods, food safety, and consumer trust. An international initiative backed by the United Nations is now leveraging advanced nuclear science to ensure seafood is safe, authentic, and traceable, protecting both consumers and the fishing industry. Seafood consumption per capita has doubled… [Read More]
Italy Launches £432M Export Finance Fund to Strengthen Trade with India
The Italian government has launched a new initiative, “Misura India,” aimed at boosting Italian exports to India through subsidized export finance and other trade finance instruments. Administered by the Italian export finance agency SIMEST, the program is part of a broader strategy to strengthen trade with the Global South, particularly as demand in traditional Western… [Read More]
Guinea Launches Malaria Vaccine in Routine Immunization Program to Protect Children
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Guinea has officially introduced the malaria vaccine into its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), with support from Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and PATH. This historic step aims to curb the country’s high malaria burden, which remains the leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. In… [Read More]
Katherine Town Council Wins $1.6M Funding for New Regional Sports & Community Precinct
Katherine Town Council has secured $1,607,918 through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program to design a multi-purpose regional sports, recreation, and community precinct linking the Katherine Aquatic Centre with surrounding sporting facilities. The Council will lead the project in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, Katherine-based NGOs, Indigenous organisations, and local sporting and community groups… [Read More]
How Mid-Day Meal Schemes Improve Education and Nutrition in India
The Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme is a government initiative in India that provides free, cooked meals to school children, aiming to deliver one nutritious meal a day to help them stay healthy and focused on their studies. Launched in 1995, the programme was designed to address both hunger and school dropout rates, encouraging parents… [Read More]
South Sudan Begins Second Phase of R21 Malaria Vaccine Rollout to Protect Children
Malaria remains endemic across all regions of South Sudan, posing a significant health challenge with an estimated 5.5 million cases and over 4,000 deaths annually. Limited access to treatment, insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), and vaccines has contributed to rising malaria prevalence, particularly among children aged 6–59 months, whose infection rates increased from 32% in 2017… [Read More]
Ethiopia Launches UN-Led Initiative to Prevent Child Wasting in Young Children
The Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP), officially launched the Joint UN Initiative for the Prevention of Wasting (JUNIPr) to accelerate national efforts against child wasting, a severe form of malnutrition affecting over 11% of Ethiopian children under five. The… [Read More]
