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With an estimated USD 700 billion needed annually to protect and restore nature and over half of global economic value dependent on natural systems, closing the nature finance gap represents both a major challenge and opportunity for the financial sector. Banks, insurers, and investors can reduce material risks, strengthen sustainability strategies, and unlock investable projects… [Read More]

In 2023, the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under UNESCO (WHITR-AP, Shanghai Center) launched the “World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals” project (2023–2028) to help heritage practitioners integrate sustainable development perspectives into World Heritage conservation and management. The project aims to translate the 2015 UNESCO… [Read More]

On 15 January 2026, the Africa–Europe Partnerships for Culture project formally launched its implementation phase, initiating a multi-country effort to harness culture and heritage for sustainable tourism, inclusive development, and youth employment across six Southern African countries. The launch established governance, delivery, and partnership frameworks, validating the project’s roadmap and coordination mechanisms to enable structured… [Read More]

Women’s leadership in peace processes delivers clear and proven results, yet women continue to be systematically excluded from decision-making spaces. Addressing this gap has been central to the work of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), which has taken consistent steps to promote women’s full and meaningful participation in politics and peace. Between 2021… [Read More]

Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract threat; it is part of everyday life. From unpredictable weather patterns to rising air pollution, communities across Thailand and around the world are already experiencing its impacts. As these challenges intensify, education is emerging as one of the most powerful starting points for meaningful climate action…. [Read More]

Kenya’s exceptional biodiversity, spanning forests, rangelands, wetlands and marine ecosystems, is one of the country’s most valuable assets, yet it is under increasing pressure from a complex mix of human and environmental stressors. Rapid population growth, competing land uses, weakly enforced and unharmonized conservation laws, over-exploitation of natural resources, unsustainable recreational activities and accelerating deforestation… [Read More]

As sustainability regulations tighten and geopolitical tensions continue to reshape global trade, companies are under growing pressure to demonstrate credible Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) across increasingly complex value chains. Eneco’s early adoption of HREDD shows how organisations can move beyond compliance and turn sustainability obligations into resilience and long-term value creation. The… [Read More]

IUCN’s BRIDGE (Building River Dialogue and Governance) programme recently awarded Gender Grants to thirteen organisations from Africa, Asia, and South America, selected from over 130 applications. These grants aim to advance gender equality and women’s leadership in transboundary water governance, strengthening the role of women in decision-making and fostering resilient freshwater ecosystems. The grants are… [Read More]

The Coral Triangle, recognized as the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, provides critical ecosystem services that support food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience for millions of people. However, these marine and coastal ecosystems face increasing pressures from climate change and human activities, making coordinated, science-based, and community-centered action across national and regional levels essential. With… [Read More]

In Mustang, one of Nepal’s most climate-vulnerable districts, Indigenous women in Jomsom are leading a quiet but impactful transformation by reviving a traditional water mill. The initiative addresses multiple challenges, including reducing women’s daily workload, conserving Indigenous knowledge, and strengthening community-based climate adaptation. Mustang’s Indigenous communities, including the Thakali, Gurung, Loba, and Magar, rely heavily… [Read More]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is inviting proposals to scale up green economy solutions that generate sustainable livelihoods while enhancing conservation outcomes in selected Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in Southern Africa, including several World Heritage sites. The SADC TFCA Financing Facility, supported by the German Government (€44 million) and the European Union… [Read More]

World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, observed on 30 January 2026, highlights the persistent global burden of NTDs, which affect over a billion people worldwide, disproportionately impacting children. These diseases not only harm health but also perpetuate poverty, particularly in marginalized communities. Skin NTDs such as leprosy and lymphatic filariasis cause deformities, inflammation, and social… [Read More]

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has launched the Pride in Place Impact Fund, a £1.5 million initiative aimed at improving community spaces, parks, high streets, and public areas across the city. The fund will support visible, lasting enhancements such as renovating community buildings, upgrading playgrounds and parks, revitalizing high streets, and adding features like lighting, benches, or… [Read More]

Community organisations across East Lindsey are being invited to attend a Community Funding Information Session aimed at helping local groups access the financial support they need to grow, strengthen activities, and launch new projects. The informal drop-in event will be held on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Horncastle Hub on… [Read More]

India convened the Influenza Chintan Shivir from 22–23 December 2025, a two-day hybrid meeting that brought together key national ministries, scientific institutions, and partners to strengthen interministerial and intersectoral coordination for influenza preparedness, surveillance, and response. The workshop emphasized influenza as a persistent public health threat and a crucial entry point for reinforcing national and… [Read More]

On 27 January 2026, Syria made a major step forward in addressing substance use as a public health priority, following a high-level inter-ministerial meeting in Damascus. Chaired by Dr. Musaab Alali, Minister of Health, and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the meeting brought… [Read More]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy in Antigua and Barbuda, recently completed a week-long mission aimed at transforming local protected agriculture farms into bankable investment opportunities. The initiative brought together 15 farmers alongside over 20 government officials and… [Read More]

Young people from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered on 26 and 27 January for the Youth Forum for the Transformation of Agrifood Systems, a regional platform organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The event brought together youth representatives from 16 countries to engage in dialogue, build capacities, strengthen… [Read More]

An intensive five-year forestry programme in Kosovo, focused on sustainable and multipurpose forest management, improving rural livelihoods, and addressing climate change, has concluded. Funded by the European Union and Sweden and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and… [Read More]

Across Southeast Asia, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to circulate among domestic and wild bird populations, posing serious risks to animal and public health, food security, conservation, and livelihoods. The virus’s geographic expansion and adaptation threaten poultry farms, wildlife, and the economic stability of millions who rely on agriculture, highlighting the need for coordinated… [Read More]

Ethiopia’s fourth-round national polio vaccination campaign using the type two novel Oral Polio Vaccine (nOPV2) reached over 26 million children across all regions. In 22 zones spanning seven regions—including Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Southern Ethiopia, Harari, Dire Dawa, and Afar—the campaign co-administered nOPV2 with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) to strengthen population immunity and accelerate the… [Read More]

The Ministry of Health Zanzibar, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Improvement Zanzibar (HIPZ), has completed a baseline analysis of 2024 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from the national sentinel surveillance network covering Unguja and Pemba. This analysis is guiding practical improvements to strengthen routine surveillance and reporting, providing evidence to… [Read More]

The United Nations has established a new support office in Haiti following a resolution in September to assist the Gang Suppression Force and the UN political mission in the country (BINUH). Stephen McOwan has been appointed interim director, joining 37 staff members already operating in Port-au-Prince. A second office was also set up in Santo… [Read More]