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Asmara and Eritrea’s mountainous central region are home to seasonally migratory and nomadic populations, making access to essential health services difficult. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, facing higher risks such as maternal mortality and gaps in immunization due to geographic isolation, mobility, and cultural factors. To address these challenges, flexible and community-driven outreach approaches… [Read More]

Access to essential resources such as markets, financial services, weather data, and technical support remains limited for around 100 million small-scale farmers in Southeast Asia, who produce the majority of the region’s food. Despite this, widespread smartphone ownership—reaching more than three-quarters of the population—has opened new opportunities for digital technologies to reshape agriculture. These tools… [Read More]

The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Standard Chartered have announced a new $300 million risk-sharing facility to strengthen supply chains and support business growth across Africa. The initiative will operate in eight countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, and will focus on key sectors such… [Read More]

A new initiative led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with Norfund aims to expand access to reliable, renewable electricity for nearly 500,000 households and businesses in underserved communities across Nigeria. The program focuses on scaling off-grid and distributed energy solutions to strengthen local economies, support… [Read More]

The FIFA Council has approved amendments to its Governance Regulations that allow for the official recognition of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team in exile, marking a major development for gender equity and human rights in sport. The decision, taken on April 29, 2026, enables FIFA to register national teams for official competitions when their home… [Read More]

A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on April 24 that the government cannot deny asylum seekers the right to apply for asylum simply because they arrive at the southern border. The court rejected the Trump administration’s policy based on an Inauguration Day proclamation describing an… [Read More]

Nepali authorities have halted the processing of applications for transgender people seeking to change their legal gender on identity documents, marking a significant setback in the country’s previously progressive approach to gender identity recognition. Human Rights Watch reports that this suspension undermines years of legal and policy advances rooted in Nepal’s Supreme Court ruling of… [Read More]

Amnesty International has warned that fragile and temporary ceasefires across the Middle East, including those involving the United States, Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, must be urgently replaced with a comprehensive and sustained regional ceasefire to prevent further civilian suffering and uphold international law. Despite a reduction in hostilities, violence continues across multiple countries, with ongoing… [Read More]

The recent Transition Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) conference in Santa Marta, Colombia brought together more than 53 countries, along with representatives from academia, business, and civil society, to discuss practical pathways for moving beyond coal, oil, and gas toward renewable energy systems, following limited progress on fossil fuel phase-out at COP30 in Brazil. UN… [Read More]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed alarm over a sharp escalation in repression in Iran amid ongoing conflict, warning that fundamental rights are being increasingly violated. According to the UN human rights office, at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since late… [Read More]

The Government of Ontario is investing over $20 million through the Experience Ontario 2026 program to support nearly 400 festivals and events across the province, aiming to strengthen tourism, create jobs, and promote local culture and identity. The funding will help municipalities and organizers deliver a wide range of events, including music, food, arts, Indigenous,… [Read More]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has announced further details of a €100 million Fuel Support Scheme aimed at assisting farmers, agricultural contractors, and fishers facing sharp increases in fuel costs. The scheme is designed as a targeted income support measure based on verified fuel usage, with payments equivalent to around €200… [Read More]

At the Financing for Development Forum, countries reviewed progress on the Sevilla Commitment, a UN-led effort aimed at closing the $4 trillion financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals, amid a challenging global context marked by declining official development assistance, falling foreign direct investment, and rising debt burdens in developing countries. Despite these pressures, the… [Read More]

The Government of Norway and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held high-level strategic discussions in Geneva to strengthen cooperation in response to rising global displacement and increasingly complex migration flows driven by crises, instability, and economic pressures. The meeting focused on scaling up practical, coordinated responses to protect migrants and displaced people, while supporting… [Read More]

The EU4EMPLOYMENT programme, funded by the European Union and Sweden and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), has helped more than 800 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina secure jobs or start their own businesses, while over 6,600 beneficiaries received support to improve their labour market skills and integration. The initiative combined training, employment counselling,… [Read More]

The Government of Indonesia, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), is advancing efforts to better integrate trade and investment policies with decent work objectives to ensure more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. At a national dialogue in Jakarta, officials highlighted that while Indonesia continues to achieve steady economic growth of around five percent… [Read More]

The Government of Ukraine and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed an Agreement on Privileges and Immunities for the ILO and its Office in Ukraine, strengthening the Organization’s legal and operational framework in the country and enabling expanded support for labour market development and recovery efforts. The agreement, signed by Ukraine’s Minister of Economy,… [Read More]

The Government of Brazil and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched a new South–South cooperation project to strengthen care policies and promote knowledge exchange across Latin America and the Caribbean. Developed under the Brazil–ILO “Social Justice for the Global South” programme, the initiative aims to support the design and implementation of public policies that… [Read More]

A recent JobAgri project workshop in Ghana, led by the ILO with government, social partners and technical experts, highlights that while agriculture remains one of the country’s largest employers, significant challenges persist in job quality, productivity and equity. The findings show that most agricultural work is carried out by family labour within smallholder households, with… [Read More]

The Government of Pakistan has approved a national Code of Practice on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) for the construction sector, marking a significant step toward improving worker safety in one of the country’s highest-risk industries. Developed through a tripartite process involving the government, employers, and workers, and supported by the ILO and Pakistan Engineering… [Read More]

The visit of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Regional Director for Africa to Cameroon has reinforced cooperation aimed at expanding decent job opportunities for young people and women, in line with national employment priorities. During high-level discussions with government officials and social partners, both sides agreed to strengthen support for the Presidential Special Programme for… [Read More]

The World Bank Group has approved up to $60 million in financing to support Panama in modernizing its cadastral system, aiming to improve land administration, strengthen property services, and create a more attractive investment environment. The Panama Cadaster Transformation Program for Results will develop a modern, integrated digital cadaster system that consolidates land and property… [Read More]

Economic growth in the Western Balkans is projected to remain subdued in 2026 and 2027, according to the latest World Bank Group Western Balkans Regular Economic Report, as the region continues to face the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict, persistent inflation, and elevated global uncertainty. Combined growth across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,… [Read More]