In Oinafa, Rotuma, Fiji, communities, elders, and youth from all seven districts gathered to celebrate the graduation of 127 participants who successfully completed the Boatmaster and Restricted Master Engineer 6 training. This milestone marks a significant step toward strengthening maritime safety, resilience, and livelihoods across the island. The training was delivered through a partnership between… [Read More]
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European Union Funds First Preschool for Children in Vysoke, Ukraine
The village of Vysoke in Zhytomyr Oblast has opened its first-ever preschool, marking a significant step toward improving early education access for local and internally displaced children. The new facility, financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the Ukraine Recovery Programme, cost €812,000 to build and includes a radiation-protected shelter that serves both the… [Read More]
Cameroon Faces International Concern Over Deaths in Post-Election Protests
The United Nations has expressed deep concern over reports of several deaths during protests following Cameroon’s 12 October presidential election. The demonstrations, which erupted over alleged irregularities in the election results, have been met with violence that has led to loss of life. UN officials have called on the country’s security forces to refrain from… [Read More]
ASEAN Adopts Landmark Declarations on Right to Development and Peace, Welcomed by UN Expert
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) demonstrated significant leadership in advancing human rights and inclusive development through the adoption of the Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development on 26 October 2025, during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. UN Special Rapporteur… [Read More]
UN Group of Experts Presses International Community to Address Nicaragua’s Rights Abuses
The UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua has urged the international community to hold the Nicaraguan Government accountable for grave human rights violations and international crimes. Presenting its findings to the UN General Assembly for the first time, the group expressed concern that a country once known for promoting peace and democracy in… [Read More]
ASEAN Adopts Historic Declaration on Environmental Rights, Welcomed by UN Experts
The United Nations human rights experts have welcomed the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment, which was endorsed on 26 October during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They hailed the Declaration as a historic milestone for human rights and environmental protection in… [Read More]
UN to Examine Malawi’s Human Rights Record at Universal Periodic Review
The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group will examine Malawi’s human rights record for the fourth time on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, in Geneva. The session, which will be webcast live, is part of the UPR Working Group’s 48th session running from 3 to 14 November 2025, during which 14… [Read More]
Afghanistan: UN Expert Urges Governments Not to Legitimize Taliban Amid Human Rights Concerns
Afghanistan is experiencing the most severe and systematic attack on gender equality in the world today, according to Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan. Presenting his report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett warned that the situation demands urgent and principled international action rather than normalisation of the Taliban regime…. [Read More]
Calls grow for Uzbekistan and UNESCO to stop forced evictions at heritage locations
UN experts have raised alarm over a series of forced evictions and housing demolitions in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 2001. They expressed concern that such actions violate human rights and destroy the livelihoods of marginalised communities, particularly minorities and Indigenous Peoples. The experts noted that these communities are often excluded… [Read More]
DRC Faces Severe Aid Shortages — Catholic Church Becomes Lifeline for Millions
The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) has issued an urgent call for international solidarity and increased funding to support frontline responders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Speaking at the Paris Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Caritas Congo Executive Secretary Abbé Edouard Makimba emphasized the commitment of local faith-based workers who continue… [Read More]
“The Church Is Dying”: Syrian Archbishop Raises Alarm Over Falling Religious Freedom
The Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad of Homs, Hama, and Al-Nabek has issued a stark warning that the “Church in Syria is dying,” as the number of Christians in the country continues to plummet. Speaking at the launch of Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World 2025 report in Rome, Archbishop… [Read More]
Finland to Support Finland-Ukraine Civil Defence Coalition with New Development Funding
Finland has announced a major contribution of EUR 11 million to support the civil defence coalition jointly led by Finland and Ukraine. The funding proposal, approved by the Ministerial Finance Committee on 30 October and prepared under the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development, will be channelled through the European Union’s Ukraine Facility. This funding… [Read More]
UK Invests in UNDP to Drive Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
The Government of the United Kingdom has renewed its partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) by investing GBP 11 million (approximately USD 14.7 million) to advance sustainable development worldwide. This renewed support comes at a time of global uncertainty, with countries facing overlapping crises such as health emergencies, climate change, conflicts, and natural… [Read More]
Kunming Biodiversity Fund Awards $5.8 Million to Support Sustainable Farming in Seven Countries
Seven countries have received $5.8 million in funding from the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) to promote nature-friendly agricultural practices. This initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, is part of the broader Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which aims to close the global biodiversity finance gap and accelerate progress… [Read More]
Celebrating World Cities Day 2025: Advancing Sustainable Urban Development for All
World Cities Day, observed annually on 31 October, was established through UN General Assembly Resolution 68/239 to promote global awareness of urbanization and its challenges. The day aims to foster international cooperation in addressing urban issues and to advance sustainable urban development across the world. The 2025 theme, “People-Centered Smart Cities,” highlights the importance of… [Read More]
Pakistan Gears Up for Nationwide Measles and Rubella Drive with WHO Training 140,000 Health Workers
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Pakistan have launched a large-scale effort to train over 140,000 health workers ahead of a nationwide measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign. Scheduled from 17 to 29 November 2025, the drive aims to immunize 35.4 million children between six and 59 months of age. This preventive… [Read More]
WHO European Region Launches New 5-Year Vision for Health and System Resilience
All 53 Member States of the WHO European Region have unanimously adopted the second European Programme of Work 2026–2030 (EPW2) during the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC75). This new five-year strategy marks a significant step forward in building healthier, fairer, and more resilient societies by the end of the decade…. [Read More]
FAO, RUFORUM Strengthen Ties to Advance Agricultural Research and Innovation in Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) have renewed their partnership through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during a virtual ceremony attended by senior officials from both institutions. This renewed five-year collaboration reinforces their shared commitment to advancing agricultural… [Read More]
Inter-American Development Bank Advances Digital Transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean
For the first time in Latin America and the Caribbean, citizens will be able to complete digital public service transactions in another country using their national digital identity. This achievement was showcased during the XIX Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Digital Government Network (Red Gealc) in Antigua, Guatemala, with the launch of IdLAC — a… [Read More]
IFC Partners with Mali’s BNDA to Strengthen SME Development and Job Creation
IFC has announced a new partnership with the Banque Nationale de Développement Agricole (BNDA) to strengthen small business financing and promote job creation in Mali’s vital agricultural sector. The sector, which supports nearly 80% of the population and contributes around one-third of the country’s GDP, will receive a significant boost through this collaboration aimed at… [Read More]
IFC Backs America Embalagens to Strengthen Brazil’s Circular Economy
In October 2025, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced a strategic investment in America Embalagens, one of Brazil’s leading rigid plastic packaging manufacturers. The funding aims to support the expansion and modernization of the company’s largest plant in São Paulo state. This initiative aligns with efforts to enhance… [Read More]
Ottawa pledges $7 million to support Caribbean recovery after Hurricane Melissa
Canada has announced $7 million in humanitarian aid for Caribbean nations devastated by Hurricane Melissa, with the government also prepared to deploy soldiers if requested. The Category 5 storm, which made landfall earlier in the week, has caused extensive damage in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, resulting in dozens of deaths, widespread power outages, and severe… [Read More]
From outbreak to resilience: Bangladesh boosts cholera response in Rohingya camps
In January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh and health partners, launched a large-scale Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign targeting Rohingya refugees and nearby host communities. The campaign successfully vaccinated 976,751 people, achieving an impressive 103.6% coverage rate, largely due to new refugee arrivals and denominator discrepancies. Children… [Read More]
