In rural Atlantic Canada, small businesses play a crucial role in sustaining local economies, providing employment, and supporting essential community services, particularly during the holiday season. Many of these businesses operate in regions with limited access to banks and major employers, meaning that the closure of even a single enterprise can have widespread effects on… [Read More]
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MHRA and NICE Awarded £2 Million by Wellcome to Enhance Digital Mental Health Technology Safety
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have received a £2 million funding boost from Wellcome to advance the regulation and evaluation of digital mental health technologies in the UK. This additional support, running until Autumn 2028, will enable the agencies to continue developing… [Read More]
Minister Foley Allocates €320,000+ to Enhance Child and Youth Prevention Services
The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley T.D., has announced €329,625 in Dormant Accounts funding awarded to 13 community and voluntary organisations across Ireland under the 2025 What Works Enhancing Quality Fund. The funding aims to strengthen prevention and early intervention services for children, young people, and families, supporting initiatives that focus on… [Read More]
Apply Now: Global Ireland Young Leaders Programme Open for Applications
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, has announced that applications are open for the 2026 Global Ireland Young Leaders Programme. Launched in 2023, the programme invites Transition Year students in Ireland and Year 11/Year 12 students in Northern Ireland to participate in a three-day immersive experience at the Department of Foreign… [Read More]
Jordan Launches National Initiative to Empower Women in the World of Work
Jordan is intensifying efforts to expand economic opportunities for women through strengthened labour legislation, enhanced social protection, and targeted employment programmes, highlighted during the three-day national conference “Towards a Fair and Inclusive Agenda for Women.” The event brought together government authorities, employer and worker representatives, and experts in international labour standards and women’s labour-market inclusion…. [Read More]
Support for Reintegrating Cambodian Migrant Workers Strengthened by ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO), through its EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia and PROTECT programmes, has provided critical support to Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand amid the recent border conflict. More than 6,700 returnees, primarily women, from provinces including Banteay Meanchey, Koh Kong, Takeo, Kampong Speu, Kampong Cham, and Siem Reap received… [Read More]
Namibia Boosts Employment Impact Assessment Capacity Through Technical Training
The International Labour Organization, under the UN Global Accelerator project in Namibia, conducted a three-day technical training on Employment Impact Assessments (EmpIA) in Windhoek to support the institutionalization of EmpIA and strengthen evidence-based planning for job creation. The training targeted government officials and social partners and was delivered under the “UN Joint Programme on Agri-systems… [Read More]
Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and Ninewa Benefit from ILO Support for Job Services and Labour Links
The International Labour Organization has concluded the final round of an advanced training programme aimed at strengthening Public Employment Services (PES) and improving labour-market intermediation in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and Ninewa province. The second workshop brought together over 45 participants, including employment counsellors from MoLSA’s PES offices, university-based Career Development Centre teams, and employer representatives… [Read More]
G20 Leaders Recognize Decent Work as Key to Inclusive Growth, Says ILO
The G20 Leaders’ Declaration adopted in Johannesburg underscores the critical link between industrialization, decent work, social protection and labour rights as essential drivers of inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Meeting under the theme of solidarity, equality and sustainability, world leaders affirmed that employment must remain central to economic policymaking and that decent work is fundamental… [Read More]
Nations Unite to Strengthen Fundamental Labour Rights Across the Coffee Industry
Representatives from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda gathered in Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2 to 7 November 2025 to exchange experiences and develop practical strategies for strengthening Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the global coffee supply chain. The event, organized by the International Labour Organization through its Vision Zero Fund with… [Read More]
Lebanese Cooperatives Step Up Action to Combat Child Labour in Agriculture
The ILO, together with Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture’s General Directorate of Cooperatives, concluded a two-day training focused on strengthening the role of cooperatives in eliminating child labour in the agricultural sector. Held from 20–21 November 2025, the training brought together cooperative leaders, union representatives, business associations and government officials to help them better identify, prevent… [Read More]
Asian Development Bank Sanctions $142 Million to Protect Biodiversity in Fujian’s Coastal Cities
The Asian Development Bank has approved a CNY1,013.56 million (approximately $142.25 million) loan to strengthen climate resilience and protect biodiversity in the coastal cities of Fujian Province in the People’s Republic of China. The Fujian Coastal Cities Climate-Resilient Development and Biodiversity Conservation Project aims to reduce urban flood risks through nature-based solutions while enhancing the… [Read More]
Asian Development Bank Sanctions $846 Million to Enhance India’s Skills and Workforce Readiness
The Asian Development Bank has approved an $846 million loan to support the development of a future-ready workforce in India, particularly for its manufacturing and emerging technology sectors. The initiative will strengthen the government’s national skilling program by transforming Industrial Training Institutes across the country and improving the quality of technical education and training available… [Read More]
Asian Development Bank to Advance Low-Carbon Agricultural Development in Sichuan
The Asian Development Bank has approved a ¥1 billion (about $140.89 million) loan to support the development of low-carbon and climate-resilient agriculture in Sichuan Province, one of the People’s Republic of China’s key agricultural regions. The Sichuan Climate-Smart Low-Carbon Agriculture Development Demonstration Program is expected to benefit more than 750,000 people by improving agricultural resources,… [Read More]
African Water Facility Unveils Five-Year Plan to Advance Water Security Across the Continent
The Governing Council of the African Water Facility has adopted a new five-year strategy, marking an important step in strengthening water security and mobilising resources across the continent. The decision was made during the Facility’s 25th Governing Council Meeting, held in Cairo under the chairmanship of Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr. Hani… [Read More]
AfDB and Shanghai Ocean University Open 2026 Scholarship Applications for African Talent
The African Development Bank Group and Shanghai Ocean University are inviting qualified African nationals to apply for the 2026 SHOU Scholarship Programmes. This initiative supports the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy, which focuses on developing a new generation of African experts equipped to strengthen the continent’s institutional and technical capacities in fisheries, aquaculture, and marine resource management…. [Read More]
Funding Boost: Grants to Support Local Renewable Energy Initiatives
The Minns Labor Government has introduced a $5 million grant program aimed at supporting community energy groups and not-for-profit organisations to help more households reduce energy costs, adopt renewable technologies, and access government rebates and incentives. The Community Energy Activation Program will provide funding of up to $600,000 to eligible organisations, enabling them to expand… [Read More]
Boosting the Bioeconomy in Asia and the Pacific: Innovation and Investment Key
Bangkok – Asia and the Pacific is at a pivotal moment in advancing a sustainable bioeconomy, as countries seek to balance economic growth, resource efficiency, and climate resilience. Emerging innovations in bio-based industries, from renewable materials to sustainable agriculture and circular economy technologies, are increasingly seen as key drivers of regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and… [Read More]
Millions at Risk: Somalia Announces Drought Emergency Amid Failed Rainfall
On 10 November, the Federal Government of Somalia declared a drought emergency, appealing for urgent international assistance as conditions worsened across northern, central, and southern regions, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Puntland is among the hardest hit, with authorities estimating that nearly one million people require support, including… [Read More]
Defying Challenges: How Young Innovators Are Shaping Future Industries
Despite the high failure rate for startups, many young entrepreneurs remain undeterred, seeing the potential to make meaningful impact. Business management student Daniel Wu, for example, embraces the challenge, aiming to improve lives through his digital skills platform for rural youth, which teaches AI and software skills. His project reached the finals of the Innovation… [Read More]
4.6 Million Ukrainian Children Struggle for Education Amid Ongoing Conflict
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, children have faced severe disruptions to their education, with many unable to attend school safely or consistently. Frequent air raid alarms and hostilities have forced numerous schools, particularly in frontline areas, to close, leaving almost one million children reliant on online learning, according to UNICEF. In 2025… [Read More]
Peacebuilding Fund Reaches $1 Billion Milestone Amid Global Funding Challenges
The UN Peacebuilding Fund, a multi-donor trust fund, serves as the organization’s primary instrument to support countries emerging from or at risk of violent conflict. Operating alongside the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office, the Fund provides critical resources to strengthen peacebuilding efforts worldwide. The announcement of the Fund reaching the $1 billion milestone… [Read More]
Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Limits Aid Delivery and Hospital Functioning
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric briefed reporters in New York, reporting that ongoing hostilities in parts of the Gaza Strip continue to cause casualties and repeatedly disrupt humanitarian operations. On Tuesday, the UN and its partners coordinated eight planned humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities, but only one was facilitated, while the remaining seven were impeded, denied,… [Read More]
