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Afghanistan’s poverty crisis deepened in 2025, with three in four Afghans—around 28 million people—unable to meet their basic needs. Modest economic growth failed to keep pace with rapid population growth, declining aid, worsening climate shocks, and restrictions on women’s rights. The return of 2.9 million Afghans in 2025 alone further strained already overstretched services and… [Read More]

Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, has highlighted the growing trade and investment opportunities between Ireland and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Speaking at the Ireland, Latin America and the Caribbean Trade Horizons Forum held at Croke Park, the Minister encouraged Irish businesses to view the region as an… [Read More]

The West Virginia First Foundation has announced the opening of a new grant cycle running from June 1 to June 30, 2026. During this cycle, the Foundation will award up to 18 grants totaling $9.87 million over a three-year period. The Community Catalyst Grant funds will focus on three priority areas: reducing substance use, strengthening… [Read More]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) has highlighted the importance of Jamaica’s participation in global discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, emphasizing the need for developing nations to have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of digital technologies. The article stresses that AI is rapidly transforming economies, public services, education, and labour markets… [Read More]

At the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, UNECE is advancing urgent action on housing affordability, sustainability, and resilience as key drivers of sustainable urban development. Building on commitments made at the 2025 Ministerial Meeting, UNECE’s engagement focuses on translating policy pledges into practical action at national and local levels… [Read More]

UNECE has announced the issuance of three new UN/LOCODE entries and updates to ten existing entries across the United Arab Emirates, strengthening supply chain resilience in the Gulf region. UN/LOCODE, a cornerstone of global trade infrastructure, provides unique geographic codes for over 114,000 locations worldwide, facilitating the movement of consumer goods, industrial materials, and critical… [Read More]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with Instituto Vakinha, has launched an innovative real-time disaster response funding model in Brazil aimed at improving the speed and efficiency of humanitarian assistance during emergencies. The initiative seeks to mobilize financial support immediately after disasters occur, helping affected communities receive timely aid while strengthening local disaster… [Read More]

People’s Health Trust has been awarded £850,000 in funding from City Bridge Foundation to deliver a new programme in London focused on children and young people’s mental health. The funding comes through the Foundation’s Strategic Transitions Award and will enable the Trust to partner with community-led expert organisations supporting young people with mental health challenges…. [Read More]

India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) remain a cornerstone of economic growth, contributing over 31% to GDP, nearly half of total exports, and supporting livelihoods for more than 32 crore people. The government has accelerated formalization through Udyam and Udyam Assist platforms, bringing over 7.9 crore enterprises into the formal economy. Alongside this, targeted… [Read More]

The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has announced the launch of the Transition Research Fund for 2027, a new initiative designed to support innovative research while aligning science investment with national priorities. The fund aims to create continuity within New Zealand’s research sector during ongoing science system reforms while encouraging ambitious… [Read More]

The World Bank Group, through its private sector arm IFC, has announced the signing of its inaugural Trade Finance Synthetic Securitization (TFSS), a landmark transaction designed to mobilize private capital to support trade and jobs in emerging markets. The TFSS builds on the recent launch of IFC’s Emerging Market Securitization Program, part of a broader… [Read More]

The South Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced a new funding opportunity aimed at fostering greater disability inclusion across the state. Through the Julia Farr Disability Inclusion Grants program, eligible organizations can apply for grants of up to $100,000 to support projects that improve accessibility, participation, and inclusion for people living with disability…. [Read More]

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have designated Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) as a Regional Biomanufacturing Training Center for the Americas. This move is part of a global initiative launched by WHO in 2023 to strengthen workforce training and support sustainable regional production of essential health technologies such… [Read More]

The International Labour Organization (ILO), with support from the Government of Belgium, is strengthening cooperation with Ukrainian trade unions to help workers cope with the ongoing impacts of war. The initiative focuses on improving worker resilience by enhancing occupational safety, mental health support, and the ability of trade unions to respond to rapidly changing workplace… [Read More]

Somalia’s economy slowed in 2025, with growth moderating to 3 percent compared to about 4 percent in 2023–24. The decline was driven by reduced foreign aid, drought conditions affecting agriculture and livelihoods, and rising living costs that left real GDP per capita stagnant. Inflation also accelerated, reaching 3.7 percent in 2025, mainly due to higher… [Read More]

The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the European Union (EU), has launched a major initiative aimed at promoting decent work and preventing child labour across global supply chains. The project seeks to address the root causes of child labour while improving labour conditions and strengthening responsible business practices in sectors that are vulnerable… [Read More]

Kazakhstan’s economy is projected to remain resilient over the medium term, though growth will moderate after a strong demand-led expansion. Following a robust 6.5 percent growth in 2025, driven by domestic consumption and a temporary boost in oil production from the Tengiz field, growth is expected to ease to 4.6 percent in 2026 and stabilize… [Read More]

The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced significant reductions in its food assistance operations in Syria due to severe funding shortages, raising concerns about worsening hunger and humanitarian conditions across the country. The agency revealed that emergency food assistance has been reduced by 50 percent, lowering the number of beneficiaries from 1.3 million people to… [Read More]

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have jointly raised urgent concerns over a worsening hunger crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where millions of people are increasingly facing severe food insecurity. The situation is particularly critical in conflict-affected regions, where ongoing violence, displacement, and limited access… [Read More]

Delta Cafés and the Champalimaud Foundation have announced a new scientific partnership aimed at strengthening breast cancer research in Portugal, including a pioneering study examining the potential relationship between coffee consumption and breast cancer outcomes. The agreement will support the expansion of the Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) within the Champalimaud Foundation’s Breast Department. According… [Read More]

Ghana’s Minister of State in Charge of Climate Change and Sustainability, Seidu Issifu, has outlined the government’s efforts to strengthen climate governance, improve coordination across sectors, and attract climate finance to support resilience and sustainable development across the country. Speaking during the Government Accountability Series held on 6 May 2026, the minister described climate change… [Read More]

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers, known as the Berne Union, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening the role of trade and investment insurance in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agreement seeks to improve how export credit agencies and… [Read More]

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Conservation X Labs (CXL), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced the winners of the Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge, an international initiative designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in understanding and managing nature-related risks and opportunities. The three winning organizations are Dunya… [Read More]