In the autumn of 2025, a realization settled over Europe: the continent’s challenge was not decline, but habit. Decades of operating on inherited postwar capital had created the illusion of stability, masking the need for active maintenance. By 2025, the accumulation of small economic, political, and strategic shifts made it clear that Europe’s structural assumptions… [Read More]
From Crisis to Recovery: Advancing Stability and Peace in Syria
During a visit to seven of Syria’s fourteen governorates last October, Syrians expressed that their greatest needs were access to health services, education, housing, and employment. After over a decade of conflict, approximately 7.4 million people remain internally displaced, and 1.2 million refugees who have returned lack the means to sustain livelihoods. Support from the… [Read More]
UNDP and Swiss Insurers Collaborate to Enhance Local Resilience
The climate crisis is intensifying, and its impacts are disproportionately borne by communities in the Global South, who are the most vulnerable yet least responsible for climate change. For the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the focus is not on whether disasters will occur, but on how to help these communities recover quickly and build… [Read More]
Youth Empowerment in Review: Major Lessons and Insights from the Year
As the year concludes, one thing is evident: youth empowerment is a practice, not just a concept. Across East Africa, young people have demonstrated the possibilities that emerge when opportunity meets preparation, education is paired with action, and communities invest in their own future. Through Asante Africa Foundation’s programs, 2025 has offered valuable lessons on… [Read More]
Top Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Startup Failures
Investing in startups carries high risk, with around nine out of ten startups failing. As a result, most active startup investors are likely to encounter failed investments at some point. Understanding the reasons behind startup failures can help investors make better decisions and apply valuable lessons to future investments. One common cause of startup failure… [Read More]
Strengthening Safeguards: UNFPA Launches PSEAH Standards for Guyana’s Public Sector
The introduction of the Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) Guidelines and Standards for the public sector in Guyana represents a decisive reaffirmation of ethical integrity and professional accountability. The initiative establishes a definitive framework for conduct within the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response ecosystem and forms part of the Government of… [Read More]
IFC and Central Puerto Accelerate Strategic Energy Investments in Argentina
Buenos Aires, December 23, 2025 — The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced a strategic investment in Central Puerto S.A., one of Argentina’s leading electricity generation companies. The investment aims to enhance the reliability and flexibility of the national power system, support greater integration of renewable energy, and boost… [Read More]
PKR 33.6 Billion Agri Financing: IFC, Standard Chartered Pakistan, and Engro Fertilizers Strengthen Pakistan’s Farming Sector
In December 2025, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced its first local currency investment in Pakistan, providing an unfunded Partial Credit Guarantee of up to PKR 33.6 billion (around US$120 million) to support Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan’s long-term financing to Engro Fertilizers. This landmark financing is designed to strengthen Pakistan’s agri-value chain by mobilizing domestic… [Read More]
Supporting Small Businesses: IFC, BRED Bank Vanuatu, and BRED Bank Solomon Drive SME Growth
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector, has announced a partnership with BRED Bank Vanuatu and BRED Bank Solomon to enhance financing access for institutional commercial customers. The initiative aims to support business growth and job creation in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, where SMEs… [Read More]
How IDB Invest Supports Caribbean Businesses to Weather Economic and Climate Shocks
Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, a reality highlighted by Hurricane Melissa in November 2025. The hurricane caused extensive damage, including torn-off roofs, flooded ground floors, and snapped power lines. In Jamaica alone, damages were estimated at US$8.8 billion, representing roughly 41% of the country’s 2024 GDP, with… [Read More]
Boosting Literacy Education: UIL Introduces New Digital Skills Course for Teachers
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), in partnership with Huawei and as part of the Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL), has developed a new multilingual course aimed at empowering literacy educators with essential digital skills. This initiative emphasizes the growing importance of digital competencies for educators in guiding learners through an increasingly technology-driven society…. [Read More]
How ANLCA’s Khalid Fettah is Driving Digital Skills and Inclusive Literacy
Since 2023, the National Agency for the Fight Against Illiteracy (ANLCA) in Morocco has partnered with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), with support from Huawei, to integrate digital technology into adult literacy programmes. This effort is part of Morocco’s National Literacy Strategy 2023–2035 and aims to modernize teaching methods, expand access to training,… [Read More]
Advancing Sustainability: Timor-Leste’s First Ecohydrology Demonstration Project
Timor-Leste is facing increasing vulnerability to natural hazards such as droughts, floods, and erosion, which are further intensified by climate change. These challenges threaten water availability, ecosystem health, and local livelihoods. To address these risks, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and ecohydrology approaches provide a resilient framework for integrated management of water and ecosystems, tailored to the… [Read More]
How Living Heritage Supports Displaced Communities in Greece
UNESCO’s pilot initiative in Greece highlights the crucial role of intangible cultural heritage in supporting displaced communities. Recognizing that conflict erodes not only physical monuments but also traditions and community practices, the initiative aims to safeguard living heritage as a tool for resilience, cultural continuity, and dialogue. Implemented in partnership with the Hellenic Ministry of… [Read More]
Kazakhstan Integrates Media and Information Literacy into School Curriculum
In 2025, Kazakhstan took significant steps to integrate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) into its compulsory education system, aiming to equip students with the skills to actively participate in the media environment, critically analyse information, create content, and engage responsibly in social and civic processes. The UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty collaborated with the National… [Read More]
OECMs and the One Health Approach: Advancing the Global Biodiversity Framework
As countries work to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), increasing attention is being paid to how area-based conservation can support biodiversity while also benefiting human and animal health. The 1Health4Nature webinar, Beyond Protected Areas: understanding the role of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), held on 9 December 2025, explored how OECMs can complement… [Read More]
IUCN 2025 Congress Highlights: Insights for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, held from 9 to 15 October, marked a milestone for global conservation, bringing together over 10,000 participants from 189 countries across more than 1,000 events. The Congress provided a platform for sharing innovative ideas, forging partnerships, and committing to bold conservation initiatives that will influence environmental… [Read More]
Climate Risks as Financial Risks: Lessons from Mongolia’s Experience
Climate change has emerged as a pressing economic and financial threat, no longer confined to environmental concerns. In Asia and the Pacific, nearly 85 per cent of people are projected to face multiple climate hazards even under the targeted 1.5°C warming scenario. Mongolia exemplifies these vulnerabilities, ranking 19th out of 171 countries on the Global… [Read More]
Year Ahead 2026: Five Deadly Diseases Threatening Children’s Health
In 2026, five deadly diseases—cholera, measles, malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrhoea—pose a major threat to children, as aid cuts, climate change, and conflict converge to reverse years of progress, according to Save the Children. Global health funding for low- and middle-income countries fell by at least 20% in 2025, hitting sub-Saharan Africa hardest. Health systems in… [Read More]
Stronger Together: Key Milestones and Achievements That Shaped 2025
Looking back on 2025, the year presented both remarkable achievements and significant challenges for global health. Despite major funding cuts and increasing threats to science and solidarity, WHO continued to lead global efforts, advocating for evidence-based health policies, pandemic preparedness, and expanded access to life-saving medicines. Governments advanced major initiatives, including the adoption of the… [Read More]
South Africa Secures Funding to Strengthen Conservation Efforts and Local Economies
South Africa, renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity—from the Succulent Karoo to the bushveld of Limpopo—has long struggled with ensuring that local communities benefit economically from this natural wealth. In response, a new US$46 million initiative titled “Securing Nature’s Contribution to People: Advancing Indigenous and Local Community Livelihoods, Cultural Practices, and Sustainable Land Management” has been… [Read More]
2025 in Review: 7 Inspiring Stories of Clean Energy and Climate Action
Reporting on climate change often focuses on alarming trends, but 2025 has also seen notable progress in clean energy and climate action. The year is set to be the joint-second warmest on record, with extreme weather events affecting Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, California, Texas, southern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Despite these challenges, several positive developments signal… [Read More]
UNCDF Gains Renewed Support from The Netherlands to Expand Investment Expertise in Emerging Markets
The Government of the Netherlands has renewed its funding support to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), reinforcing the organization’s capacity to design and implement blended finance solutions that mobilize private capital in early-stage and last-mile markets across least developed countries, Small Island Developing States, and fragile contexts. This continued support ensures that UNCDF… [Read More]
