On 20 August 2025, the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities will host a webinar titled “Digital Learning in the City: Leveraging AI for Inclusive Learning” as part of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning’s global webinar series, “Unlocking the Power of Lifelong Learning”. This series brings together stakeholders from around the world on the… [Read More]
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Brushing Off Bias: How Art and Culture Drive Gender Equality
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and the MARKK museum are hosting a Gender Talk that explores the powerful role of artistic and cultural expression in shaping and reshaping gender narratives. The discussion will focus on how art and lifelong learning can challenge gender bias, promote inclusion, and serve as tools for social change. Three… [Read More]
Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta City Gains New Infrastructure to Combat Chronic Flooding
Can Tho City, a key hub in Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta, once faced chronic flooding that cost its economy an estimated US$200 million annually. Floodwaters regularly disrupted daily life, contaminating streets and homes with debris and waste. In 2023, however, the city withstood its first major tidal surge without inundation, thanks to the Can Tho… [Read More]
The Power of Youth: Driving Change for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future
Across East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), young people are transforming their lives and communities through greater access to skills, jobs, and new opportunities. From East Java in Indonesia to Lae in Papua New Guinea, the World Bank is working with governments and partners to create inclusive pathways for youth, focusing on job creation as… [Read More]
World Bank to Support Marshall Islands in Strengthening Public Spending and Local Services
The World Bank has approved a US$15 million grant to help the Republic of the Marshall Islands improve public fund management and strengthen local financial expertise. The Strengthening Public Financial Management II project will support the Ministry of Finance, Banking, and Postal Service in delivering more timely and transparent budgets and financial reporting. Building on… [Read More]
Youth Driving Change: Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future
More than half of the world’s population is under 30, and young people are increasingly at the forefront of grassroots initiatives tackling climate change, inequality, and other pressing global challenges. Marking International Youth Day on 12 August, the United Nations is celebrating the power of youth to transform communities and influence the wider world. This… [Read More]
Pakistan Could Save $2.8 Billion Annually Through Breastfeeding, WHO Reports
In Pakistan, only 48.4% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, falling short of the World Health Assembly’s 2030 target of 60%. This gap is linked to an estimated annual loss of US$ 2.8 billion due to the negative health and economic impacts of low breastfeeding rates, according to Nutrition International’s Cost of Not… [Read More]
WFP Delivers Food Aid to Gaza Amid Starvation and Growing Lawlessness
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) continues to deliver convoys of food aid into Gaza almost daily, but severe operating challenges prevent assistance from reaching the scale required to curb worsening starvation. Lawlessness and the breakdown of public order inside the territory have made it increasingly difficult to ensure that life-saving supplies reach the most… [Read More]
AfDB and Invest in Africa Partner on $850,000 Grant to Create Green Jobs in Ghana and Senegal
The African Development Bank has signed an $850,000 grant agreement with Invest in Africa (IIA), a non-profit organization, to implement the MicroGREEN project in Ghana and Senegal. This initiative, officially titled Strengthening Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities’ Micro-Entrepreneurship for Green Jobs in Natural Resources, aims to create up to 500 green jobs in the… [Read More]
AfDB and Central African Republic Partner to Develop Ubangui River Basin Water Resources
The Government of the Central African Republic and the African Development Bank Group have officially launched the Regional Support Programme for the Development of Cross-Border Water Infrastructure and Resources (PREDIRE) between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The launch ceremony, held in Bangui on 5 August 2025, was chaired by Minister… [Read More]
UNDP Empowers Youth with Skills, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Young people often have the deepest insight into local challenges because they experience them firsthand and are driven to find solutions. Across Asia and the Pacific, over 4,000 young entrepreneurs are creating inclusive digital tools, accessible healthcare, and climate-smart technologies tailored to their communities. These innovations are not only inclusive but also grounded in local… [Read More]
Transforming Jordan’s Agrifood System for Sustainable Growth and Resilience
In line with Jordan’s 2021–2030 National Food Security Strategy, the Joint Programme led by FAO and UNIDO with support from the Joint SDG Fund is driving the transformation of the country’s agrifood systems. The initiative focuses on smallholder inclusion, innovation, and blended financing to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and economic… [Read More]
Rethinking Global Health Funding: Empowering Local Leaders, Governments, and Private Sector for Sustainable Impact
The global health landscape is experiencing significant upheaval due to shifts in donor funding, causing disruptions to vital health projects and essential services. Many local organizations that provide direct care have been forced to pause operations and reconsider their sustainability. This moment presents an opportunity to rethink global development funding by adopting more resilient, diverse,… [Read More]
Legatum Launches $10M Resilio Fund to Empower Community-Led Humanitarian Crisis Response
The Resilio Fund is the fourth collaborative fund launched by Legatum, building on a four-year pilot across seven countries where over 1,000 micro-grants were distributed by local NGOs, reaching more than 500,000 people. These grants enabled communities to quickly restore essential services and enhance resilience against future shocks by supporting activities such as repairing wells,… [Read More]
EIB Faces Complaint Over €1 Billion Funding to UN-Blacklisted Israeli Companies Amid Gaza Conflict
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has stated it has no plans to stop existing funding to Israel despite a formal complaint regarding its financing of €1 billion worth of projects involving two Israeli companies blacklisted by the United Nations. The complaint, filed by the Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation, highlights the involvement of Bank Leumi and… [Read More]
NLA Donates GHC 100,000 to Blind Support for Skills Training Program for Persons with Disabilities
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has donated One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 100,000) to Blind Support, an NGO that assists persons with disabilities. This funding is intended to support a skills training program designed to equip persons with disabilities and their affiliates with basic entrepreneurial and employable skills, fostering sustainable employment opportunities. The Director-General… [Read More]
$5M DFC Grant Boosts Mozambique’s Chimuara–Nacala Transmission Project for Energy Access
Gridworks, a UK government-backed developer of electricity networks in Africa, has secured a $5 million grant from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to support critical development work on the Chimuara–Nacala transmission project in Mozambique. This funding will cover technical, legal, and environmental studies necessary to bring the project to financial close, moving it… [Read More]
Agencies Pledge Continued Support for African Church Despite Funding Cuts
Overseas development agencies, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Misereor, have pledged continued support for the Church and civil organizations in Africa despite funding cuts from their home countries. The announcement was made during the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), held from July 30 to August… [Read More]
Bettervest & CEI Africa Partner to Boost Off-Grid Clean Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa
German impact crowdinvesting platform bettervest and CEI Africa, a foundation funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW, have signed a Framework Agreement to expand their collaboration on improving energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa. bettervest is the first German crowdlending platform to receive CEI Africa funding, underlining its role… [Read More]
Nigeria Boosts Cholera Preparedness with Nationwide Health Worker Training
Nigeria is intensifying efforts to combat cholera following a surge in cases during the 2025 rainy season. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, WaterAid, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has launched a nationwide initiative to strengthen… [Read More]
Bringing Prenatal Ultrasound to Rural Burkina Faso: Saving Lives and Improving Maternal Care
In Burkina Faso, a new initiative is transforming maternal healthcare by training midwives to perform basic obstetric ultrasounds during antenatal consultations, especially in remote areas. Previously, pregnant women had to travel long distances and pay high costs to access ultrasound services, leading many to forgo essential scans. Now, free ultrasounds are available locally, reducing delays… [Read More]
CAIAC Project Maps Extreme Heat and Flood Risks in African Cities Using ESA Climate Data
The CAIAC (Climate Analysis in African Cities) project is designed to produce high-resolution climate data tailored to the unique challenges faced by African cities, particularly regarding extreme heat and flooding. This work is aligned with climate scenarios outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and aims to address local priorities through active engagement… [Read More]
ITC’s Innovative Training Empowers 2,500 Cross-Border Traders in Eastern and Southern Africa
An innovative training programme by the International Trade Centre (ITC) has transformed the way small-scale cross-border traders operate in Eastern and Southern Africa, benefiting 2,500 traders. Using a creative blend of storytelling, soap-opera-style drama, and culturally tailored content, the programme made complex border procedures easy to understand and apply in daily trade activities. To overcome… [Read More]
