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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directors has endorsed a new Strategic Human Resource Framework aimed at empowering a high-performing and agile workforce to address complex development challenges across Asia and the Pacific. The Framework establishes a consistent set of guiding principles to ensure fair and supportive employment practices throughout every stage of a… [Read More]

The African Development Bank Group has approved $29.85 million in financing for Phase II of Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Engineering and e-Health Project, part of a $33.64 million initiative aimed at building future-ready skills and strengthening the country’s health system. The Bank Group’s support includes $24.64 million from the African Development Fund and… [Read More]

Mozambique is facing one of its most severe flooding crises in recent history, prompting immediate search, rescue, and disaster assessment operations using advanced drone technology financed and supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund and its partners. Government-trained teams, with technical support from Korean experts, are deploying… [Read More]

Despite global commitments, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to experience significant gaps in the availability, affordability, and accessibility of quality life-saving maternal and newborn health (MNH) products. Although initiatives like the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030) and Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere aim to ensure essential products for evidence-based reproductive,… [Read More]

Google has announced a comprehensive set of partnerships, product updates, and funding initiatives to promote responsible AI-powered learning in India. The announcement comes in response to research showing that 74% of Indians believe AI can improve student outcomes. Key highlights include an ₹85 crore (nearly $10 million) Google.org grant to Wadhwani AI to support 75… [Read More]

Across Mongolia, 60 percent of the urban population live in traditional dwellings called gers, where households primarily rely on coal-burning stoves for heating and cooking. This practice is the largest contributor to air pollution in urban areas, especially in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, accounting for 55.6 percent of emissions. Winter fuel costs consume up to 40… [Read More]

For years, the Transportation Energy Institute (TEI) has argued that simply replacing the world’s 1.5 billion combustion vehicles with new technology vehicles is an inefficient path to reducing transportation emissions. Achieving environmental objectives requires addressing the existing fleet while ensuring affordable and reliable access to energy for all users. TEI’s recent report, Driving Insight: A… [Read More]

A recent case study from Nigeria examines how different types of community organizations impact women farmers’ ability to access savings and exercise financial decision-making. In many rural and marginalized communities, formal financial institutions are limited, and women are disproportionately excluded. Community-based organizations, therefore, play a critical role in enabling women to invest, grow their income,… [Read More]

Years of working with small-scale farmers across East Africa have revealed key lessons for making carbon farming both effective and equitable. Farmers in the region are adopting practices like minimum tilling, intercropping, cover crops, agroforestry, and biochar to protect soil, improve productivity, and adapt to climate pressures. However, participation in carbon markets remains challenging due… [Read More]

In a joint publication with Adam Smith International, Claudia Baez Camargo and Renee Kantelberg highlight that effective anti-corruption work requires more than technical interventions, such as capacity building for civil society. Anti-corruption initiatives operate in complex and politically charged environments, where change is rarely linear or predictable. The authors emphasize the importance of thinking and… [Read More]

The first Adaptive and Resilient Communities Cohort (ARCC) in 2025, led by Tamarack’s Community Climate Transitions team, aimed to strengthen Canadian communities’ capacity to respond to climate change impacts such as flooding, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke. Across the country, many municipalities and local organizations recognize the urgency of climate adaptation but face barriers including… [Read More]

During a closed roundtable at HCLTech’s pavilion at the 2026 World Economic Forum, C-suite and senior leaders discussed how innovation, ecosystem collaboration, and evolving business models are reshaping the technology industry. The conversation explored AI economics, infrastructure strategy, services transformation, edge and device computing, and the emerging category of Physical AI, all anchored around a… [Read More]

On Bundjalung Country in northern New South Wales, a youth-led and Indigenous-designed initiative has supported Aboriginal girls to reconnect with culture on Country while developing practical skills for the future. The Bundjalung Bush Food Youth Program was established in response to significant challenges facing Indigenous young people in the Northern Rivers region, including high rates… [Read More]

Recovery in small regional communities extends far beyond the immediate aftermath of disasters, even as the early days are often marked by remarkable generosity and local solidarity. While emergency response and short-term assistance are critical, the true recovery process is slow, deeply rooted in relationships, and often invisible from the outside. Rebuilding homes, businesses, and… [Read More]

Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing 22 percent of GDP and employing more than 70 percent of the rural population. Despite this importance, most smallholder farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, leaving them highly exposed to erratic rainfall and recurring droughts. Although irrigation could significantly reduce these risks, only a small portion of Kenya’s… [Read More]

Indian non-profit organisation Educate Girls has been awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, dedicating the honour to its 55,000 field coordinators, volunteers, and youth mentors who have played a critical role in bringing millions of girls in India back to school. Often described as Asia’s Nobel Prize, the award was announced on 31 August and… [Read More]

Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration is expanding the Mexico City Policy to restrict U.S. government funding not only for organizations that perform or promote abortions abroad, but also for those the administration says promote diversity, equity and inclusion and what it describes as “gender ideology.” The announcement was made at the… [Read More]

The United Nations Development Programme in Seychelles convened an event with small and medium-sized enterprises on 23 January at UNDP House in Bel Eau to celebrate entrepreneurship, gender equality, and regional trade integration. The gathering brought together senior government officials, diplomatic representatives, development partners, and participants of the Xport Accelerator Programme, reflecting strong national and… [Read More]

Ari starts his day navigating Jakarta’s streets, collecting recyclable waste from homes and small businesses. He is a waste picker, and he lives with a visual impairment. In a system that often overlooks both informal workers and persons with disabilities, his work is rarely seen. Yet without people like Ari, Indonesia’s recycling system would be… [Read More]

Bangladesh is advancing toward a more inclusive justice system by integrating digital solutions to better serve marginalized communities. With support from the European Union, the National Legal Aid Services Organization and UNDP Bangladesh are implementing a pilot initiative to introduce digital legal aid services across eight districts. The effort aims to simplify access to justice,… [Read More]

This report presents an in-depth analysis of how 54 selected Albanian businesses engage with sustainability, offering insights to inform future policy and programme design. For most firms, sustainability action is primarily driven by internal economic considerations, particularly energy efficiency and cost savings, rather than external regulatory pressure or consumer demand. More advanced sustainability practices are… [Read More]

Between 2024 and 2025, Albanian consumer confidence faced significant challenges due to a series of high-profile food safety incidents, domestic fraud, and controversies in waste management. Reports of Albanian agricultural exports being rejected in Europe for pesticide residues or heavy metals, cases of expired food being relabeled and resold domestically, and Salmonella contamination in imported… [Read More]

Uzbekistan has launched the second phase of its “Islands of Integrity” anti-corruption methodology, expanding a local governance approach that has already delivered practical results in several regions. The launch in Turtkul District brought together national and international partners, including government officials, the UNDP Resident Representative, and EU representatives. The initiative builds on a pilot phase… [Read More]