UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) has long collaborated with the Government of South Africa to strengthen ocean science and sustainable development on the continent. This enduring partnership has supported regional capacity-building and policy engagement, exemplified most recently by SEAmester VIII — South Africa’s flagship floating classroom programme. Conducted… [Read More]
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ARC Awards $18.4 Million to Fund 16 New Indigenous-Led Research Projects
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced $18.4 million in funding for 16 new projects under its Discovery Indigenous scheme. This initiative is dedicated to supporting research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, while also building capacity among higher degree students and early career researchers from Indigenous communities. The newly funded projects will… [Read More]
Philippines Strengthens Labour Rights with New Freedom of Association Training Initiative
The Freedom of Association (FOA) Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme has been launched in the Philippines through a partnership between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed at strengthening labour rights and democratic values. This pilot initiative in Luzon seeks to create a core group of trainers and… [Read More]
Jordan and ILO Collaborate on Workshop to Drive Formal Economy Transition
The Ministry of Labour in Jordan, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has launched a three-day national workshop in Amman to accelerate the country’s transition from the informal to the formal economy. The event brought together over 70 representatives from ministries, government institutions, civil society organizations, and social partners to shape a comprehensive… [Read More]
How ILO’s Systems Approach Empowers Small Businesses at the Base of Supply Chains
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a new brief advocating for a “systems approach” to improve conditions in the lowest tiers of global supply chains. Titled From Root Causes to Real Change: Using a Systems Approach to Foster Decent Work Deep in Supply Chains, the brief outlines how this methodology can unlock opportunities for… [Read More]
IOM and Robert Bosch Stiftung Collaborate to Prioritize Migrant Voices in Labour Mobility
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung have jointly launched an initiative called Amplifying Migrant Voices. This pilot project, set in Kenya and Germany, seeks to incorporate migrants’ lived experiences into policies and practices related to labour mobility. By emphasizing participatory research and dialogue, the initiative aims to ensure that labour… [Read More]
Ukrainian School Near Kyiv Reopens for New Academic Year After EU-Funded Renovation
A secondary school in Hatne, near Kyiv, Ukraine, has reopened for the new academic year after undergoing extensive renovations supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The upgraded school now provides improved facilities for over 1,300 students, including nearly 300 children from displaced families, as well as almost 100 teachers. Renovations included reinforcing the building… [Read More]
EU Backs Confidence-Building Initiatives with EUR 320,000 Funding
Within the regional project “EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans,” funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), nine civil society organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina have been awarded grants. These selected projects focus on key areas such as promoting transitional justice, addressing past conflicts, strengthening… [Read More]
From Seeds to Strength: How Rwanda’s Model Villages Build Lasting Resilience
In Rwanda’s Mukindo Sector, Gisagara District, daily life revolves around livestock and community cooperation, exemplified by a livestock-sharing programme where families pass the first offspring of animals to neighbors in need. This practice is part of the broader “Model Village” initiative by the Rwanda Red Cross, which empowers vulnerable communities to collectively build resilience against… [Read More]
Confronting Alarming Food Insecurity Trends in Africa: Expert Analysis and Solutions
Africa is facing its most severe hunger crisis in decades, with over 282 million people affected as of July 2025—more than one in five across the continent. The crisis is driven by a combination of climate shocks, economic instability, and ongoing conflicts, severely impacting regions from drought-ridden Southern Africa to famine-threatened communities in the East…. [Read More]
Nigeria Scales Up Mpox Prevention with Targeted Vaccination in High-Burden States
Nigeria has launched a targeted vaccination campaign across 12 high-burden states to curb the spread of mpox, focusing on protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening outbreak response mechanisms. This ten-day campaign, coordinated by the Federal Government through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and supported by State Ministries of Health, WHO, and UNICEF, is utilizing… [Read More]
UK Provides Emergency Aid to Afghanistan Earthquake Victims
The UK has announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, killing over 800 people and injuring thousands. This funding aims to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including essential healthcare, with a special focus on women. The UK’s response underscores its longstanding commitment to the Afghan people during this… [Read More]
ADB Approves $125 Million Loan to Enhance Urban Infrastructure in Assam, India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $125 million loan to improve urban livability and enhance climate resilience in six district headquarters and the city of Guwahati in Assam, India. The Assam Urban Sector Development Project aims to benefit 360,000 residents by providing continuous metered water supply and upgrading stormwater management systems. Additionally, the… [Read More]
ADB Approves $106.9 Million to Boost Secondary Health Care Services in Sri Lanka
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $106.9 million financing package aimed at strengthening Sri Lanka’s secondary curative care services, enhancing communicable disease prevention and control, and improving governance and management within the health care sector. This funding, part of the Strengthening Integrated Health Care and Governance for Universal Health Coverage Program, includes a… [Read More]
Deadly Earthquake in Afghanistan: Rescue Efforts Underway as Children Among Thousands Affected
Rescue teams are urgently heading to Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 600 people and injured more than 3,000, many of whom are children. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue amid difficult conditions, according to Save the Children. The earthquake struck during… [Read More]
Protecting Nature Fuels Economic Growth and Jobs, Finds New Global Report
A new World Bank report reveals that 90% of the global population lives with at least one major environmental challenge—degraded land, unhealthy air, or water stress—while in low-income countries, 80% of people lack access to all three. The report, Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet, highlights how these environmental deficits are not just… [Read More]
Unlocking Private Sector Investment to Boost Job Creation and Sustainable Growth
Togo has experienced steady and robust economic growth over the past decade, but it now faces new challenges amid increasing regional and global uncertainties, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update. To navigate these uncertainties and accelerate development, the report recommends that Togo deepen structural reforms, implement its fiscal consolidation strategy, and attract greater… [Read More]
Thailand’s Blue Economy Boosted by World Bank Support and Coastal Protection Funding
Thailand is intensifying its efforts to harness the potential of its blue economy with significant technical support from the World Bank. A key part of this initiative includes plans to issue the country’s first sovereign blue bond, which will finance sustainable, ocean-based development. Given Thailand’s 23 coastal provinces and over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, marine… [Read More]
Afghanistan Earthquake: Latest Updates, Impact, and How You Can Help
A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 800 people across four provinces. The disaster has caused widespread destruction to homes and health infrastructure, compounding an already dire situation in the region. Many of the worst-hit areas have been completely devastated, with entire villages wiped out. Prior… [Read More]
Humanitarian Aid in Crisis: Budget Cuts Threaten Millions Worldwide
Severe budget cuts in international aid are leaving the world’s most vulnerable populations without essential support. Across Europe and the United States, governments are slashing foreign aid budgets, redirecting funds toward domestic priorities or military spending. France has reduced its development assistance by hundreds of millions, while the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium… [Read More]
Zimbabwe Rights Activists Acquitted After Year-Long Trial
A Zimbabwe court recently acquitted three human rights activists—Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi—on disorderly conduct charges more than a year after their arrest, drawing attention to the misuse of the criminal justice system against dissenting voices, Human Rights Watch stated. The activists had been detained in July 2024 after being pulled off a… [Read More]
ReSea Project Advances Gender-Inclusive Governance and Climate Resilience in Pemba
The ReSea Project, implemented through a partnership between Mission Inclusion, IUCN, and Women Fund Tanzania Trust (WFTT) in collaboration with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, recently concluded a five-day in-situ training focused on Inclusive Governance and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation. The training was conducted over two days in Kusini Pemba and two days… [Read More]
IFC and Ayala Land Strengthen Sustainability Financing to Boost Green Buildings in the Philippines
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) are expanding their partnership to scale green and resilient buildings in the Philippines, combining sustainability with financial innovation while supporting job creation. IFC is providing a second sustainability-linked loan (SLL) of up to PHP12.87 billion (US$225 million equivalent) to ALI, reinforcing sustainable finance in the… [Read More]
