The African Development Bank has launched the Africa-Asia (A-A) Platform, a new initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge transfer, technology exchange and innovation between the two regions. The rollout ceremony took place at the United Nations University in Tokyo and brought together senior leaders from the African Development Bank Group, the University of Pretoria and the… [Read More]
$9 Million ADF Climate Action Window Investment to Strengthen Sahel’s Basin Resilience
The African Development Fund has approved a grant of $9.48 million to support the Community and Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation in the Wetlands of the Sahel Catchment Basins Project. The funding, provided through the Climate Action Window, aims to strengthen climate resilience in key wetlands across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal. These ecosystems face… [Read More]
$55 Million ADF–WHO Agreement Set to Strengthen Sudan’s Health System
The African Development Bank Group and the World Health Organization have signed a funding and implementation agreement for the Sudan Health Emergency and Infrastructure Project, a three-year initiative designed to improve access to quality healthcare across the country. Signed on 3 November 2025, the project focuses on strengthening essential health services, enhancing emergency preparedness, and… [Read More]
Cities Target Food Waste Reduction with Food Waste Breakthrough Initiative
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with governments, cities, civil society, and the private sector, has launched the Food Waste Breakthrough initiative to halve global food waste by 2030 and reduce methane emissions by up to seven per cent. Announced at COP30 in Belém, the initiative addresses the dual crises of climate change and… [Read More]
Human Rights Concerns Rise Over Egypt’s Updated Criminal Procedure Code
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has strongly condemned the Egyptian Parliament’s adoption of a new Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) on 16 October 2025, citing violations of the right to a fair trial and freedom from arbitrary detention, as well as the perpetuation of impunity for enforced disappearances. According to Saïd Benarbia, ICJ Middle East… [Read More]
MEPs Raise Alarm Over Increasing International Crackdown on Human Rights Defenders
The European Parliament has raised serious concerns over the growing threat of transnational repression, particularly targeting human rights defenders on EU soil. Parliamentarians emphasized that these attacks, carried out by authoritarian regimes, aim to coerce, control, or silence political opponents, journalists, activists, and members of the diaspora. In a recent report adopted by 512 votes… [Read More]
LNOB Programme Enters Third Phase, Focusing on Vulnerable Communities
The third phase of the Leave No One Behind (LNB3) Programme was officially launched in Tirana on 12 November 2025, with the participation of UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, and UNDP. The signing ceremony, held at the UN House, brought together key stakeholders including Albania’s Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare Denada Seferi, Swiss Ambassador… [Read More]
Moldova’s Rural Development Gets a Boost with New EU-UNDP Initiative
The European Union (EU), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is launching a three-year, EUR 3 million initiative to strengthen digital governance in agriculture and improve employment opportunities for vulnerable populations in rural Moldova. The project aims to deliver a Digital National Farmers Register, modernize employment services, and provide inclusive tools to… [Read More]
From Farms to Frontlines: How Women Are Driving Climate Solutions in Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, with floods, droughts, heatwaves, and storms increasingly disrupting landscapes and livelihoods. While global frameworks such as CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the SDGs stress that gender equality is key to sustainable food systems and climate action, climate impacts affect women disproportionately. Women constitute over… [Read More]
Faster Climate Insurance Payouts Proposed by Kenya Government
The Kenyan government is proposing new rules to protect farmers from the increasing impacts of climate change by requiring insurers to settle claims on weather-related policies within 10 days. The draft regulation focuses on index-based, or parametric, insurance, which pays out based on a predetermined variable such as rainfall, rather than individual claim assessments. The… [Read More]
Peru’s Rural Futures: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovation
Peru, one of Latin America and the Caribbean’s largest economies, possesses significant agricultural potential, yet its rural populations face deep challenges. After decades of economic progress, poverty in the country is rising, reaching 27.6 percent by 2024. Rural areas are particularly affected, with nearly 40 percent of small-scale farmers living in poverty. These communities struggle… [Read More]
New WWF Investment Approach Could Mobilize Billions in Funding for Nature Protection
WWF and its partners have introduced a new investment model, the Landscape Finance Approach (LFA), at COP30, designed to transform nature conservation into a low-risk, high-yield investment opportunity. This model comes at a critical moment, as the global biodiversity funding gap nears a trillion dollars annually, and world leaders have less than five years to… [Read More]
Strengthening Smallholder Farmer Resilience: How ARAF Tackles Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF), financed by multiple partners and development finance institutions including Proparco through AFD Group’s FISEA+ facility, addresses food security and climate change by investing in start-ups that provide innovative solutions for smallholder farmers in East and West Africa. These farmers face severe disruptions due to climate change, such as intense… [Read More]
Green Climate Fund and ARAF: Funding Solutions for Climate Change Resilience
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has developed a global strategy to accelerate climate action in developing countries through its “50by30” vision, aiming to manage USD 50 billion by 2030. The Fund’s Readiness Programme helps countries translate their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Long-term Climate Strategies (LTS) into actionable climate investments. GCF… [Read More]
Antibiotic Resistance Surges: Nearly 400 Weekly Infections in 2024
National surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveal a worrying rise in antibiotic-resistant infections, with nearly 400 new cases reported each week in 2024. Bacteraemia caused by resistant bacteria increased by 9.3% compared to 2023, rising from 18,740 cases to 20,484, while deaths associated with resistant infections also grew from 2,041 to… [Read More]
$300 Million Investment by Global Philanthropies to Tackle Climate and Health Challenges
Over 35 leading philanthropies have come together to address the growing public health crisis driven by climate change, which threatens at least 3.3 billion people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The Climate and Health Funders Coalition has committed an initial $300 million to accelerate solutions that tackle both the causes of climate change and… [Read More]
Indigenous Activists Storm COP30 Summit in Brazil, Demand Stronger Climate Action
Hundreds of people joined an Indigenous-led protest during the second day of the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, drawing attention to growing tensions over the Brazilian government’s claim that Indigenous voices are central to the event. The protest escalated when dozens of Indigenous activists forced their way into the conference venue after a… [Read More]
AIIB and NDB Provide $75 Million to City Bank for Sustainable Infrastructure Projects in Bangladesh
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank are jointly extending a USD 75 million loan to City Bank PLC in Bangladesh to support sustainable infrastructure development. AIIB is providing USD 50 million, while NDB is contributing USD 25 million. The financing, initiated and structured by AIIB, aims to address major infrastructure challenges… [Read More]
European Union Boosts Support for Vietnam, Adds €200,000 in Typhoon Kalmaegi Relief
The European Union has released an additional €200,000 in emergency humanitarian aid to support Vietnam following the impact of typhoon Kalmaegi. This new contribution comes on top of the €650,000 provided the previous month in response to earlier tropical cyclones that intensified monsoon rains and triggered severe flooding across the country. To strengthen the relief… [Read More]
EIB Global Launches New Climate Fund with Germany and Luxembourg as Key Contributors
EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank Group, has launched a new climate-focused trust fund supported initially by Germany and Luxembourg, which together are contributing €32 million. The Greening Financial Systems Fund is designed to expand green financing worldwide by supporting actions that address climate change and environmental sustainability. Germany is providing… [Read More]
European Union Commits Almost €6 Billion to Help Cover Ukraine’s Financial Needs
The European Commission has released the final tranche of €4.1 billion under its exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance programme as part of the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loan initiative. Alongside this, it disbursed a fifth regular payment of over €1.8 billion under the Ukraine Facility. Together, these payments amount to €5.9 billion, underscoring the EU’s position as… [Read More]
Ghanaian Researcher Makes History as First Recipient of ERC Synergy Grant
Professor George Meyiri Bob-Milliar of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has become the first Ghanaian and only the second African to receive a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant. This award supports research teams working on some of the world’s most complex scientific challenges. The ERC, established by the European… [Read More]
European Union Finalizes €20 Million Contribution to Brazil’s Amazon Fund
The European Union has formalized a donation of 20 million euros (about R$124 million) to the Amazon Fund during a ceremony held in Belém on November 13, 2025, alongside COP30. The contribution marks the start of European disbursements planned over the next four years. During the meeting, EU Ambassador Marian Schuegraf and Brazil’s Minister of… [Read More]
