The International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and Brazil’s Minister of Labour and Employment Luiz Marinho commemorated Brazil’s ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention (No. 29) during the ILO’s 20th American Regional Meeting on 1 October in the Dominican Republic. This meeting provided the first high-level acknowledgment of Brazil’s… [Read More]
WFP Responds to Earthquakes in Afghanistan Amid Rising Humanitarian Needs
One month after a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August, followed by a series of aftershocks, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) continues to provide rapid food assistance and logistical support to affected communities. The earthquakes have compounded an already severe food security and nutrition crisis, leaving more than nine million… [Read More]
Haiti on the Brink: Violence and Funding Shortfalls Push Families Toward Starvation
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that escalating violence in Haiti’s capital is cutting off humanitarian access and worsening hunger, as extreme funding shortfalls force the agency to slash rations and suspend key programmes. Armed groups now control nearly 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, leaving farmers isolated from markets and driving up food… [Read More]
WFP and South Korea Rebuild Schools in Remote Tajikistan to Support Education and Food Security
The Governments of Tajikistan and the Republic of Korea, together with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have completed the reconstruction of two schools in Rasht and Tojikobod districts, which were damaged by an earthquake earlier this year. The inauguration ceremony was attended by local officials, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic… [Read More]
Bhutan Can Harness Benefits of Migration Through Strategic Reforms, Says World Bank
Migration of Bhutan’s educated youth and skilled professionals has become a growing concern for the Royal Government of Bhutan and international partners, according to a new World Bank report released today. Titled Migration Dynamics in Bhutan: Recent Trends, Drivers, and Implications, the report builds on discussions from the South Asia Mobility Conference held in Thimphu… [Read More]
Sarawak Partners with World Bank to Boost Governance and Long-Term Economic Growth
In a landmark initiative to future-proof its economy, Sarawak has signed a strategic agreement with the World Bank and Malaysia’s Federal Government, marking the start of major reforms in State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) governance and public financial management. The three-year partnership aims to enhance the management of public resources by improving SOE governance and aligning budget… [Read More]
World Bank: Digital Transformation Key to Boosting Public Sector Productivity
Malaysia is leveraging GovTech to deliver faster, more trusted public services—a digital transformation the World Bank highlights as central to enabling private sector growth and creating high-quality jobs, accelerating the country’s path toward high-income status. The World Bank’s new report, From Bytes to Benefits: Digital Transformation as a Catalyst for Public Sector Productivity, credits Malaysia’s… [Read More]
From Bytes to Benefits: Digital Transformation as a Catalyst for Public Sector Productivity
Digital transformation has become a cornerstone of modernization for governments worldwide, enabling institutions to operate more efficiently, citizens to access services more conveniently, and economies to capture new productivity gains. However, the benefits of GovTech are not automatic. Global experience shows that digital tools only translate into tangible improvements when they are coupled with strong… [Read More]
Back to Basics: Why Investing in Disaster Risk Management is Crucial for Global Development
On May 8, 1947, the World Bank approved its very first loan of $250 million—equivalent to about $3.5 billion in today’s terms—to the French government to help rebuild its economy after the devastation of the Second World War. Seventy-eight years later, the World Bank is still helping countries recover from disasters, but its mission has… [Read More]
ADB Approves $190M Loan for Indore Metro Rail Project to Boost Urban Mobility and Sustainability
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $190 million loan to support the Indore Metro Rail Project, a major urban transport initiative aimed at easing congestion, improving mobility, and reducing pollution in Madhya Pradesh’s largest city. The project will finance the construction of an 8.62-kilometer underground metro corridor with seven modern stations, linking high-density… [Read More]
ADB Approves $299M Loan for Delhi–Meerut RRTS, Bringing Total Support to $1.05B
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $299 million loan as the final tranche of financing for the Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), India’s flagship urban transport project in the National Capital Region (NCR). With this tranche, ADB’s total support under the multi-tranche financing facility, approved in 2020, now stands at $1.05 billion…. [Read More]
ADB Signs $30M Sustainability-Linked Loan with Envoy Textiles, Marking First in Bangladesh
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $30 million sustainability-linked loan facility with Envoy Textiles Limited (Envoy), marking ADB’s first such financing in Bangladesh. The deal follows the Bank’s earlier textile manufacturing project with Envoy in 2022. Sustainability-linked loans are forward-looking, performance-based instruments tied to key performance indicators (KPIs) and sustainability performance targets (SPTs)…. [Read More]
ADB Unveils 2025–2029 Country Partnership Strategy to Drive Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Indonesia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched its new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Indonesia for 2025–2029, setting out a roadmap to accelerate the country’s inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economic growth. Over the next five years, the strategy will advance along three strategic pathways—investing in people, strengthening economic competitiveness, and enhancing resilience and sustainability. These… [Read More]
Mauritania Signs $300M Deal for Hybrid Solar-Wind Plant Under Desert to Power Initiative
Mauritania has signed a landmark $300 million Independent Power Producer (IPP) agreement with Iwa Green Energy to develop a 60-megawatt hybrid solar-wind power plant, marking the country’s first private-sector-led renewable energy project. Scheduled to begin operations in September 2026, the facility will significantly boost Mauritania’s current 450 MW installed capacity, advancing the government’s drive to… [Read More]
African Development Bank and Mota-Engil Africa Sign €120M Guarantee to Drive Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Across Africa
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Mota-Engil Africa, a leading construction and infrastructure company, have signed a landmark agreement for a €120 million Partial Credit Guarantee in Abidjan. The guarantee, the Bank Group’s first direct support to an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company in Africa, will back a €170 million Sustainability-Linked Loan arranged… [Read More]
African Development Bank Grants $500,000 to Support Uganda’s Emergency Flood and Landslide Relief
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $500,000 grant from its Special Relief Fund to support Uganda’s Emergency Relief Response Project for communities devastated by floods and landslides. The financing will deliver urgent assistance to affected populations in the Bulambuli, Kasese, and Ntoroko districts, including the provision of family-size tents for around 1,500… [Read More]
Republic of Congo Businesses Gain Key Training to Access $103M African Development Bank Procurement Opportunities
Over 100 Congolese companies are now better equipped to compete for procurement opportunities with the African Development Bank (AfDB), following an information and awareness seminar held in Brazzaville on 24 September 2025. The event comes as part of preparations for the Bank’s Annual Meetings scheduled for May 2026 in Brazzaville. The seminar, led by the… [Read More]
African Development Bank Signs $144.7M Deal with Niger to Expand Energy Access and Boost Economic Growth
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Government of Niger have signed a $144.7 million financing agreement to expand energy access, strengthen economic competitiveness, and enhance long-term resilience. The deal was signed in Abidjan by AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah and Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, who also serves as Minister of… [Read More]
IFAD Achieves Landmark US$1 Billion in Sustainable Bonds to Boost Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has surpassed US$1 billion in sustainable bond issuances since its first issuance in June 2022. This milestone was reached with the twelfth bond issued in September 2025, marking a significant expansion of IFAD’s ability to finance rural development projects globally. By the end of 2024, the first US$646… [Read More]
How Water Management Drives Sustainable Economic Development
The 11th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue took place in Maseru, Lesotho, from 29 to 30 September 2025. The discussions reviewed progress in water-related initiatives under the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus framework, focusing on how water security and integrated planning can strengthen the region’s new smart economic corridors. The aim was to ensure… [Read More]
Bahrain Contributes USD 200,000 to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Global Trade
The Kingdom of Bahrain has contributed USD 200,000 to the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, a global initiative aimed at strengthening the participation of women-led businesses in international trade. The contribution was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva on 29 September. The… [Read More]
Historic $150 Million Donation from The Moody Foundation Boosts UCC-Affiliated HBCU
In celebration of Huston-Tillotson University’s 150th anniversary, Ross Moody, trustee and vice president of The Moody Foundation, announced a transformative $150 million gift at the university’s opening convocation on September 18, 2025. This donation comes at a time when federal support for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public universities is facing scrutiny, and nearly… [Read More]
Energy Department Pledges $365 Million to Revitalize Puerto Rico’s Power Grid
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the reallocation of up to $365 million to address Puerto Rico’s ongoing power grid crisis, aiming to provide reliable and affordable energy for the island’s 3.2 million residents. The funding will support essential repairs and emergency measures to strengthen grid stability and harden critical infrastructure. The DOE’s… [Read More]
