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The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $200 million Economic Transformation Development Policy Operation for Armenia to support the country’s shift toward a more competitive, globally integrated, and environmentally responsible economy. In addition, the OPEC Fund plans to provide parallel financing of up to $92.8 million, bringing the total support package to… [Read More]

The World Bank Group has approved a US$25.75 million grant from the International Development Association to support the Djibouti Economic Diversification Program, marking the country’s first Program-for-Results financing. The initiative is designed to expand economic opportunities, strengthen the private sector, and create jobs as Djibouti works to reduce reliance on traditional economic models and build… [Read More]

Zambia has launched a broad package of skills development tools aimed at improving employability and aligning training more closely with labour market needs across major sectors of the economy. Announced in Livingstone, the initiative introduced the National Critical Skills List, Sector Skills Strategies, three Sector Skills Bodies, and a pilot National Apprenticeship Programme, marking a… [Read More]

The African Development Bank Group has reaffirmed its development priorities for Kenya following a mid-term review of its 2024–2028 Country Strategy Paper, which found that the five-year strategy remains on track. While confirming that the overall direction is still relevant, the review also identified new measures to improve implementation and strengthen results during the remaining… [Read More]

Women in the workplace contribute not only skills and expertise but also resilience, responsibility, and leadership, often while balancing professional duties with family and community roles. Yet despite their contributions, many still face challenges related to fairness, equal opportunity, and access to support when workplace issues arise. Complex procedures, uneven awareness of available recourse, and… [Read More]

The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a $15 million equity investment in the SPE PEF III private equity fund to support growth-stage businesses across Africa. The decision, taken in Abidjan on 25 March 2026, reflects the Bank’s continued commitment to expanding access to capital for businesses with strong growth potential on… [Read More]

The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a €7.5 million investment in the Breega Africa Seed I Fund to help scale some of Africa’s most promising early-stage technology start-ups. The financing is aimed at strengthening support for innovative young businesses across the continent during the critical seed stage of growth. The investment… [Read More]

The African Development Bank Group’s newly appointed Country Manager for Tanzania, Mary Manneko Monyau, officially began her tenure after presenting her Letter of Credence in Dar es Salaam on 25 March 2026. The ceremony marked the formal start of her mandate and underscored the Bank’s continued engagement with Tanzania as a key development partner. On… [Read More]

London’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are set to benefit from a new finance navigation hub aimed at simplifying access to funding and investment as part of the city’s wider Business Support Strategy. The Grow London Local Money hub, launching in April and delivered by London & Partners, will provide businesses with a clear entry… [Read More]

Nigeria has announced an additional $346 million in domestic funding for 2026 to strengthen its health priorities, focusing on combating HIV and tuberculosis. The funding aims to enhance efficiency, accountability, and national ownership of health policies, supported by structural reforms such as the creation of the Multisectoral Accountability Framework for Tuberculosis (MAF-TB), which will improve… [Read More]

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere have reached all-time highs, driving record-breaking temperatures on both land and sea, with long-lasting consequences for humanity. The UN agency emphasized that the planet’s climate is “more out of balance than at any time in observed history,” highlighting the unprecedented warming… [Read More]

Global leaders have initiated the process for the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit 2026, a pioneering international effort to place values, culture, happiness, and consciousness at the center of food systems transformation. The high-level online launch, convened by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) in partnership with UNDP, engaged… [Read More]

Across Asia, climate change is increasingly disrupting the water cycle, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, floods, and rising sea levels threatening water sources that communities have relied on for generations. Rural populations, especially those dependent on agriculture, face immediate impacts: crop failures, dried rivers, and unsafe drinking water, which in turn affect food… [Read More]

The Government of Cameroon, with support from the Joint SDG Fund, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and in partnership with the United Nations system, officially launched the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme to accelerate food systems transformation. The initiative aims to strengthen agricultural value chains, expand access to finance, and connect smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises to… [Read More]

In November 2025, Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka, affecting over 2 million people and highlighting the country’s growing vulnerability to climate-related hazards. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and frequent extreme weather events are no longer projections but lived realities, with average temperatures expected to rise by 1.5 to 3.4°C this century. Over the past 40 years,… [Read More]

Tashkent, 27 March 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance hosted the closure workshop of the joint project “Promoting Innovative Decarbonization Solutions through the Joint Crediting Mechanism and Demonstration of Decarbonization Potential of Public Buildings and Public Transport in Uzbekistan.” Funded by the Government of Japan, the… [Read More]

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy and fourth most populous country, has experienced significant economic growth over the past two decades, with poverty rates declining and electricity access reaching nearly 99.4 percent in 2023. However, this progress has relied heavily on coal, which provides 69 percent of the country’s electricity and has made Indonesia one of… [Read More]

Partners involved in delivering the Africa Technology and Innovation Partnership (ATIP) across seven countries recently gathered in an IDS-facilitated learning session to reflect on how different forms of support matter at various stages of an innovation’s journey, from early ideation to fully mature, market-ready solutions or enterprises. The discussion emphasized the importance of adaptive and… [Read More]

Over the past ten years, Türkiye and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have developed a strong partnership across Europe and Central Asia, supporting programmes that strengthen institutions, mobilize resources, and respond to crises and economic challenges. Since UNDP established its regional hub in Istanbul in 2015, the partnership has grown beyond a traditional host-country… [Read More]

Over the past five years, the Just FACT programme in Tower Hamlets has brought communities together to develop an alternative food system that is environmentally sustainable, socially just, and community-led. Co-coordinated by the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen) and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund, the programme supported 26 projects that explored… [Read More]

In a recent episode of the ADR UK podcast *Connecting Society*, co-host Mark Green explores how data can be used to improve lives while minimising risks, focusing on lessons from the Netherlands. He speaks with Tom Emery, Executive Director of ODISSEI, a Dutch national initiative that links data from multiple sectors to address societal challenges…. [Read More]

The unequal distribution of power in development has long been evident, but real change is increasingly being driven by those closest to the challenges. Civil society organisations in West Africa are leading initiatives that are contextually relevant and sustainable, demonstrating that local actors can shape meaningful impact when given the right support. During a youth… [Read More]

Richard Rugg, Deputy CEO, emphasizes that as the window to act on climate change narrows, sustainability professionals must shift rapidly from ambition to practical implementation. Future leaders in the sector need to navigate complex regulations, leverage emerging technologies, and make a strong financial case for climate action to drive meaningful impact. The Carbon Trust, with… [Read More]