Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has announced three new Creative Ireland grant calls totaling €4.6 million, aimed at fostering creativity, connection, and wellbeing across the island of Ireland. The grants include opportunities for projects under the Shared Island strand of the Creative Ireland Programme, supported by the Shared Island Fund. The… [Read More]
Ireland Invests €65.8 Million to Boost Technological Universities and Specialist Colleges
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has announced a €65.8 million investment targeting Ireland’s technological sector and publicly funded specialist colleges, following a Cabinet decision. The funding will be delivered through the Targeted Enhancement Fund (TEF), managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), with up to €30 million… [Read More]
Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum Launched to Strengthen Trade and Investment Ties
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, today officially launched the inaugural Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum at Iveagh House, welcoming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Taoiseach Mícheál Martin TD, Tánaiste Simon Harris TD, and key business stakeholders. Hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Forum coincided with President Zelenskyy’s visit to… [Read More]
COP30 Leaders Place Social Protection at the Heart of Climate Resilience and Just Transition
At the COP30 leaders’ summit on 7 November in Belém, Brazil, social protection took center stage as 43 countries and the European Union signed a landmark declaration outlining concrete goals to strengthen climate resilience and promote a just transition. The declaration calls on international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), to track progress and… [Read More]
Latin America’s Farms Struggle with Informality: Over 80% of Agricultural Jobs Lack Protections, Warn ILO and FAO
A new joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveals that more than 80 per cent of agricultural employment in Latin America remains informal, leaving workers—particularly women, youth, and older adults in rural areas—without formal protections or social security. The report, Decent Work… [Read More]
Global Momentum Grows: Bayer and Pernod Ricard Join ILO’s Disability Inclusion Network
Bayer and Pernod Ricard have become the newest multinational members of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN), marking a significant step in expanding global commitment to disability inclusion and workplace equality. Their membership, formalized in the last quarter of 2025, reinforces the growing recognition that inclusive workplaces contribute to stronger business performance and… [Read More]
ILO–EU Partnership Fuels Hands-On Safari Guide Training in Zambia With USD 46,000 Land Cruiser Donation
The International Labour Organization (ILO), under the European Union-funded Skills Development for Increased Employability Programme (SDEP), has donated a Toyota Land Cruiser worth USD 46,000 to the African College for Community-Based Natural Resource Management, Nyamaluma. The investment aims to strengthen safari guide training and boost youth employment opportunities in Zambia’s growing tourism sector. Located in… [Read More]
Japan Steps In With JPY 200 Million to Protect Children’s Education and School Meals in Crisis-Hit Chad
Japan has announced a contribution of JPY 200 million (US$1.3 million) to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support emergency school meals in Chad. The funding will help provide meals to 44,000 schoolchildren over the next two years, ensuring the continuation of school feeding initiatives in areas severely affected by crisis while safeguarding… [Read More]
Global Leaders Unite in Pakistan to Advance Nutrition-Focused Social Protection
A three-day global learning event on nutrition-sensitive social protection opened today in Islamabad, bringing together governments and development partners under the Global Task Force on Social Protection for Nutrition. Co-hosted by the Governments of Pakistan and Timor-Leste with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) serving as Secretariat, the gathering aims to strengthen collective action… [Read More]
Japan Steps Up Support to Ensure School Meals for 100,000 Children in Timor-Leste
The Government of Japan has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to strengthen Timor-Leste’s national school feeding programme, signing an agreement that will help sustain daily meals for more than 100,000 schoolchildren in 2026. Japan’s contribution of USD 700,000 (JPY 100,000,000) will enable WFP to provide 330 metric tonnes of rice to… [Read More]
India Powers Ahead: ADB’s $650 Million Boost to Light Up Millions of Homes with Rooftop Solar
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $650 million policy-based loan to support the Government of India in rapidly expanding rooftop solar adoption and providing clean, affordable electricity to 10 million households by 2027. The financing, part of Subprogram 1 of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program, will advance the… [Read More]
ADB Approves $300 Million for Disaster-Resilient Road Development in Indonesia’s Southern Java
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan to support the construction of approximately 72 kilometers of disaster-resilient roads along the southern coast of Java, Indonesia. The Trans South-South Java Road Project aims to significantly enhance connectivity, economic development, and climate resilience in rural regions of East Java Province. The project will… [Read More]
Empowering Kenya’s Youth for a Greener Future: AfDB Champions Green Skills Revolution
The African Development Bank is charting a new path for Kenya’s young people by supporting the development of green skills and sustainability-focused careers through its partnership with the Green Careers Caravan, an initiative led by Jacob’s Ladder Africa. The collaboration aims to inspire university students to pursue opportunities in the expanding green economy, covering sectors… [Read More]
AfDB Approves €25 Million Boost to Power SME Trade Growth in Cameroon
The African Development Bank Group has approved a €25 million trade finance facility to support Crédit Communautaire d’Afrique-Bank (CCA-Bank) in expanding its services to small and medium-sized enterprises and other businesses across Cameroon. The financing was endorsed during a Board session held on 1 December in Abidjan. The facility will operate as a Transaction Guarantee,… [Read More]
New York Launches $100 Million Construction Fund to Expand Child Care Access for Thousands of Families
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $100 million Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program aimed at dramatically increasing access to high-quality child care across the state. The initiative will support the construction of new facilities and the expansion of existing programs, with the goal of creating between 6,000 and 10,000 additional child care… [Read More]
Beyond Equality: Why Disability Inclusion Is Essential to Women’s Rights
Disability inclusion and gender equality are deeply intertwined. Equal rights cannot truly be realized if women and girls with disabilities continue to be left out of advocacy, protections, or public policies meant to support them. A woman cannot be said to have full voting rights if mobility challenges prevent her from reaching a polling station…. [Read More]
From Trauma to Transformation: Women Leading the Fight Against Digital Violence in Latin America
Digital violence against women is escalating at an alarming pace across Latin America, and for women in public life—politicians, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders—online abuse has become more than harassment: it is a weapon that follows them offline. Threats begin with a message, a deepfake, or a doxing attack, but the consequences unfold in… [Read More]
Funding Opportunity: New Call to Boost HIV Treatment Access for Children in Five African Countries
Aidsfonds has launched an open call for proposals for the 2026–2028 period, inviting community-based organisations, NGOs, and medical institutions to implement evidence-based strategies that identify children and adolescents living with HIV (ages 0–14) and connect them to life-saving antiretroviral treatment and ongoing care in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Nigeria. The initiative forms part… [Read More]
Global Climate Innovation Soars as Lab’s 2026 Call for Ideas Hits Record High
The Lab’s 2026 Call for Ideas has shattered previous records, attracting an unprecedented 1,171 applications—representing a remarkable 250% surge compared to 2025. With this year’s submissions, the Lab has now surpassed 3,000 applications reviewed since the program first began in 2015, underscoring a rapidly expanding global interest in climate finance innovation. During the initial stage… [Read More]
Domestic Solar Manufacturing Set for Significant Expansion
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to $151 million in conditional funding under the Australian Government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot Program to establish a 500 MW per annum solar module manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley, NSW. The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry, led by Sunman Group founder Dr Zhengrong Shi, will develop… [Read More]
Zambia and Zimbabwe Approve Lenacapavir Rapidly via WHO Collaborative Registration
The Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) approved lenacapavir tablets and injectable formulations for HIV prevention on 4 November 2025, completing its review in just 12 working days. Zimbabwe’s Medicines Control Authority (MCAZ) followed soon after, finalizing its review in 18 working days. Both approvals were granted through the WHO Listed Authorities (WLA) Collaborative Registration Procedure… [Read More]
Horn of Africa Sees New Blue Economy Drive as AfDB and IGAD Partner
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in partnership with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has launched a multinational initiative to accelerate coordinated blue economy development across the Horn of Africa. The project, called the Building Blue Economy Resilience and Prosperity in IGAD & the Horn of Africa (BE-Prosper), was officially approved during a three-day… [Read More]
African State-Owned Assets Set to Hit Record $1 Trillion Mark
African state-owned institutions are managing a record $1 trillion in assets, according to the latest report from sovereign fund tracker GlobalSWF. This growth reflects the continent’s increasing reliance on domestic investment amid reductions in concessional finance and foreign aid. Public pension funds, central banks, and sovereign wealth funds are playing a key role in mobilizing… [Read More]
