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Financial inclusion plays a critical role in strengthening women’s economic empowerment and improving household food security in Ethiopia, according to recent research. While global efforts to build inclusive financial systems have gained momentum, access to financial services remains uneven, particularly for women, limiting their ability to achieve economic independence and contribute to household well-being. In… [Read More]

Time is running out to achieve global development targets as financial resources continue to shrink, the United Nations has warned. A combination of rising conflicts, climate pressures, and declining development funding is placing increasing strain on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries, pushing progress on global goals further off track. The warning comes from… [Read More]

A joint assessment by the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank has found that human development in Gaza Strip has been pushed back by 77 years due to the ongoing war, with an estimated $71.4 billion required over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction. The Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment… [Read More]

A major session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has opened at UN Headquarters in New York, focusing on improving healthcare access for Indigenous Peoples, particularly in conflict settings. The gathering is expected to bring together more than 1,000 participants, continuing the forum’s 25-year role in elevating Indigenous issues on the global… [Read More]

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the European Union, reports that artificial intelligence is now widely integrated into healthcare systems across Europe, with 74 percent of countries using AI for medical imaging, disease detection, and clinical decision-making. Additionally, 63 percent of these countries provide chatbot services for patients, reflecting a growing effort to… [Read More]

The Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program, delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada, provides wage subsidies to eligible employers to create summer job opportunities for youth aged 15 to 30. It supports not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers, and private sector businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. The program helps young people gain practical work… [Read More]

World leaders convened in Seville for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, where more than 190 countries reached agreement on the Compromiso de Sevilla, a new global framework aimed at accelerating financing for sustainable development. The conference also launched over 130 implementation initiatives, signaling a shift from commitments to immediate action as the… [Read More]

The European cardiovascular and cancer health communities have issued a joint appeal to EU Heads of State and Government, urging them to prioritize sustained investment in healthcare ahead of the European Council Summit on 23–24 April 2026. The statement, supported by the European Alliance on Cardiovascular Health and the European Cancer Organisation, emphasizes the need… [Read More]

The state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India has experienced significant environmental degradation over the past few decades, with an estimated 30 to 40 percent of its forest cover lost due to intensive agricultural expansion. This has contributed to declining soil quality, reduced groundwater levels, and a loss of agroecological biodiversity, making farming increasingly difficult… [Read More]

The International Labour Organization (ILO) supported a capacity-building workshop in Lima titled “From barriers to talent: Including persons with disabilities in SERVIR,” aimed at strengthening inclusive employment practices within Peru’s civil service system. The training brought together 50 technical staff from the National Civil Service Authority (SERVIR) to enhance their ability to promote disability inclusion… [Read More]

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a new Belize Early Childhood Development and Female Empowerment Project aimed at expanding access to quality early childhood education while improving women’s employment opportunities. The initiative is designed to address key social and economic gaps by strengthening childcare systems and supporting workforce participation among women. Belize… [Read More]

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Libya’s Ministry of Transportation have completed a three-day workshop to establish a roadmap for implementing a strategic transport sector study. The initiative is designed to support Libya’s broader economic recovery by improving the efficiency, coordination, and performance of the country’s transport system. The workshop was held from 15 to… [Read More]

The European Commission has activated a crisis mechanism under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) to support fishers, aquaculture producers, processors, and retailers affected by the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. The decision applies retroactively from 28 February 2026 and aims to cushion the severe disruption caused by rising… [Read More]

GrainCorp has announced funding for 26 community organisations through its latest Community Grants program, supporting initiatives focused on education, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and youth development. The funding is designed to help local, often volunteer-led groups continue delivering essential services and strengthening community connections across regional and rural areas. Community Engagement Manager Kyle Docherty said… [Read More]

Auckland Council is investing an additional $286,106 in arts and culture across Tāmaki Makaurau through its latest round of Regional Arts and Culture grants. Approved by the Community Committee on 16 April, the funding will support 14 creative projects with grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, enabling a wide range of activities including dance, music,… [Read More]

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released by Haiti’s National Food Security Coordination (CNSA) shows a worsening food security crisis, with 5.83 million people—about 52 percent of the population—experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). This represents an increase of 130,000 people compared to the previous assessment in September 2025,… [Read More]

Food loss and waste often happen quietly across the food value chain, beginning long before food reaches consumers. In warehouses, fields, processing units, retail stores, and food service operations, edible food is lost due to bruising, delays, strict quality standards, forecasting errors, and storage limitations. These small inefficiencies accumulate at each stage, resulting in significant… [Read More]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, showcased scalable nuclear science–based solutions to accelerate agrifood systems transformation in Africa during a special event at the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa. The initiative emphasized how proven scientific… [Read More]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has signed a collaboration agreement with the Ghana Food Movement (GFM) to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. The partnership aims to highlight traditional food practices in Ghana while supporting sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and improved nutrition outcomes. Through its advocacy work, the Ghana Food… [Read More]

The WHO Regional Office for Africa and the African Union Commission have reaffirmed their partnership to strengthen coordinated action against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which affect over one billion people globally, with Africa bearing around 35 percent of the burden. The renewed commitment was highlighted during the 2026 NTD Programme Managers Meeting held in Lilongwe,… [Read More]

A joint mission led by WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA in The Gambia’s Central River Region focused on strengthening national health systems by engaging directly with frontline health workers. Conducted from 8–10 April as part of preparations for a UN joint programme on maternal and child health, the mission aimed to better understand real-world service delivery… [Read More]

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have signed a new Co-Financing Framework Agreement in Washington D.C. during the World Bank Group–IMF Spring Meetings. The agreement strengthens their long-standing partnership and establishes a structured framework for jointly financing development programmes aimed at transforming rural economies and improving food… [Read More]

Belarusian authorities are increasingly using broadly defined “extremism” laws to suppress dissent, including targeting individuals and organisations operating from exile. Human rights groups warn that these laws are being applied in a systematic and politically motivated manner to criminalize a wide range of peaceful activities, from academic engagement to civil society work. One of the… [Read More]