The UNDP Finance Against Slavery and Human Trafficking (FAST) Initiative, in partnership with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has launched a global study to guide investors on how to engage with survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. This engagement is intended to improve human rights due diligence and support the development… [Read More]
Archives for 2025
How JRCT Is Supporting Social Justice Through Grassroots Funding
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) supports initiatives that address the root causes of conflict and injustice. Recognizing the essential role of grassroots movements led by directly affected communities, JRCT launched a pilot Grassroots Movements Fund to back such efforts. Over the past three years, the pilot program awarded £1.5 million through 22 grants to… [Read More]
Uzbekistan Boosts Data Governance with New Workshop on Open and Gender Data
The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Open Data Charter and the National Committee on Statistics, hosted a two-day workshop on 29–30 July 2025. The event aimed to promote the effective use of open and gender data within Uzbekistan’s public sector. The workshop brought together data professionals from ministries, government agencies, and… [Read More]
Reproductive Injustice in Focus on Pan-African Women’s Day
Unsafe abortion continues to pose a serious public health crisis across Africa, particularly affecting young, poor, rural, and marginalized women. Despite being a known threat for decades, it remains largely unspoken due to its discomforting reality. In Sub-Saharan Africa, three-quarters of abortions are unsafe, and one in every 150 results in death—a grim reflection of… [Read More]
$1 Million Grant Boosts Human Rights Watch Canada Initiatives
Human Rights Watch Canada has received a CAD$1 million grant from The Slaight Family Foundation as part of a broader CAD$13 million emergency funding initiative. This initiative aims to support Canadian humanitarian organizations in response to the negative global impact of recent U.S. foreign aid cuts. The suspension of most U.S. foreign assistance has led… [Read More]
Government of Canada and UK Partner to Advance AI Alignment Breakthroughs
The Government of Canada recognizes artificial intelligence (AI) as a critical driver of the country’s future prosperity, security, and global leadership. To harness its benefits, Canada is investing in scaling up its AI ecosystem, building robust infrastructure, fostering the adoption of AI systems, and strengthening public trust in AI technologies. The government emphasizes that these… [Read More]
World News: Somalia Conflict, Haiti Cholera Surge, and Tax Reforms for Sustainability
Intensifying clashes in Mahas, located in the Hiraan region of Hirshabelle state, Somalia, forced the displacement of over 28,000 residents on 26 July. Additionally, between 23 and 26 July, around 38,000 more people fled violence in the Gedo region of Jubaland state, with some crossing into neighboring Kenya. Security issues have led to the suspension… [Read More]
$9.5 Million Boost for Auckland Sports Facilities Through Council Grants
Auckland Council is supporting the development of community sports infrastructure by allocating $9.5 million in funding to 22 organisations. This funding, provided through the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund (SRFIF), aims to enhance access to quality sports facilities for Auckland residents. The decision to distribute the grants was approved by the Community Committee on… [Read More]
Government Invests in Mt Druitt to Enhance Community Support Systems
The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) has announced new place-based grants totaling $4.2 million to support seven community networks in Mt Druitt, Western Sydney. These networks, each consisting of three or more partner organizations, work to improve outcomes for children, families, and youth, particularly within First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. The funding… [Read More]
Immigration New Zealand Strengthens Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed on 30 July, serves as a global reminder to act against human trafficking. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is actively engaged in preventing, detecting, and disrupting this serious crime. This year’s theme, “Trafficking in Persons is Organised Crime — End the Exploitation,” underscores the growing role of organised criminal… [Read More]
Uganda’s West Nile Refugees Thrive with Climate-Smart Agriculture
Rows of healthy tomato plants now flourish year-round in Uganda’s Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, despite harsh dry seasons that once left the community reliant on humanitarian aid. This transformation is the result of innovative, climate-smart agricultural practices supported by international partnerships. Refugees, like Mary from South Sudan who arrived in 2016, are now actively farming with… [Read More]
Integrating Informal and Hard-to-Tax Sectors into the Formal Tax System
The informal economy and hard-to-tax (HTT) sectors remain largely outside the formal tax system for several reasons. While the informal economy represents economic activity not captured in GDP figures, HTT sectors are defined by their exclusion from the effective tax base. In both cases, accurate measurement and targeted policy are crucial to bringing them into… [Read More]
ADB Unveils New Country Partnership Strategy for Azerbaijan (2024–2028)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has introduced a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Azerbaijan for the period 2025–2029. This strategy emphasizes value creation, economic integration, and resilience as critical components for achieving the nation’s development objectives. The strategy is built around two central pillars: enabling a green and diversified economy, and fostering low-carbon connectivity… [Read More]
Ontario Invests $3 Million to Build Cleaner, Healthier Communities
The Ontario Community Environment Fund is now accepting online applications for environmental project funding, with a submission deadline of 5 p.m. (EDT) on September 24, 2025. Since its launch in 2010, the fund has directed more than $3.8 million from environmental penalties into 108 projects across the province. These initiatives have contributed significantly to ecological… [Read More]
Ontario Allocates $1.3 Million to Boost Emergency Medical Services in the North
The Ontario government is investing $1.3 million to expand the Transportation of Medically Stable Patients (TMSP) program to Blanche River Health. This initiative aims to improve access to essential medical appointments and treatments for residents in Northeastern Ontario. The TMSP program provides non-ambulance transportation for medically stable patients, helping reduce pressure on emergency ambulance services…. [Read More]
India Launches First AI-Powered Road Safety Project in Uttar Pradesh
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved India’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based road safety project in Uttar Pradesh, signaling a significant advancement in tech-enabled governance. This pioneering initiative will be implemented by mLogica in partnership with the state-run ITI Limited, without any financial support from the central government. The Uttar Pradesh administration… [Read More]
Call for Participation: Help Shape Resilient Futures in Foresight Sprint
The upcoming Resilience Investment Foresight Sprint offers an opportunity for students, academics, and professionals to collaboratively shape national foresight scenarios that influence strategic resilience investments and help reduce disaster risk. This initiative aims to generate innovative and actionable pathways that can inform national disaster risk management, climate policies, development planning, and investment strategies. Selected scenarios… [Read More]
New Global Initiative by UNDP and French Senate to Promote Democracy
The French Senate and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a new global partnership aimed at strengthening democratic governance through more effective, accountable, and inclusive parliamentary institutions. This initiative comes at a time when democratic systems are increasingly under pressure worldwide. The partnership will utilize UNDP’s extensive global experience—currently supporting 65 parliaments—and the… [Read More]
Africa Day of Seas and Oceans: IUCN Urges Decade of Ocean Regeneration and Regional Solidarity
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) marked this year’s Africa Day of Seas and Oceans by aligning with the African Union and regional partners to celebrate the continent’s marine heritage and recognize the communities that protect it. This year’s observance also signifies the conclusion of the Africa Decade of Seas and Oceans (2015–2025),… [Read More]
Mediterranean Conservation Success Stories Featured on IUCN Contribution Platform
Two Mediterranean conservation initiatives—from Morocco’s Atlantic Sahara and Spain’s Catalonia—are now featured on the IUCN Contribution Platform, showcasing how IUCN Members are using this digital tool to share their impact. As part of global efforts to meet the targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the IUCN Programme, the platform enables Members, Commissions,… [Read More]
FAO Regional Office for Africa: Driving Food Security and Agricultural Development
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has reinforced its commitment to advancing inclusive, investment-driven transformation of agrifood systems in Southern Africa through the Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HIH). Implemented in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the initiative focuses on unlocking opportunities for sustainable agricultural growth across the region. During the… [Read More]
Pacific Ocean Tsunami: UNESCO’s Early Warning System Saves Lives Again
On the night of 29–30 July, a powerful undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It was the strongest earthquake recorded globally since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan and ranks among the ten most powerful since 1900. Within just ten minutes of the quake, UNESCO’s Pacific… [Read More]
African Development Bank Backs Rural Youth Entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso
On July 15, 2025, the African Development Bank and the Government of Burkina Faso officially launched the third phase of the incubator program under the Support Project for Youth Employment and Skills Development in Rural Areas (PADEJ-MR) in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The PADEJ-MR initiative aims to address rural unemployment and underemployment by… [Read More]
