Myanmar’s opium crop has surged to its highest level in a decade, reflecting the country’s ongoing conflict and fragile economy. According to the Myanmar Opium Survey 2025, poppy cultivation increased by 17 per cent over the past year, from 45,200 hectares in 2024 to 53,100 hectares in 2025, reversing a brief dip and continuing a… [Read More]
Syria Marks Human Rights Day Amid Signs of Progress and Emerging Hope
For the first time in the country’s history, Syrians are preparing to publicly observe Human Rights Day on 10 December — a symbolic milestone that UN officials say signals a “new chapter” in engagement with the authorities and a cautiously optimistic moment for millions seeking change. Mohammad Al Nsour, Chief of the Middle East and… [Read More]
Digital Skills Hub Empowers Refugees and Host Communities in Ethiopia’s Somali Region
In a milestone for inclusive development, 216 refugees and host community members graduated on 27 November 2025 from short-term and long-term digital skills programs at the Jigjiga Digital Innovation Hub, marking a major step toward expanding employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in Ethiopia’s Somali Region. Among the graduates, 35% were women, reflecting a commitment to gender-inclusive… [Read More]
Malaysia Moves to Eliminate Forced Labour with New 2026–2030 Action Plan
Malaysia is strengthening its fight against forced labour through the development of a new National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAP-FL) for 2026–2030, aiming to eliminate the practice across the country by 2030. A two-day workshop organized by the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) brought together… [Read More]
Kazakhstan Boosts Labour Inspection Capacity with Strategic Compliance Training
Kazakhstan is strengthening its labour inspection system through enhanced skills in strategic compliance planning and resource management, following a three-day workshop organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO). From 26 to 28 November, senior and regional labour inspectors, legal specialists, and staff from the Committee of State Labour Inspection of the Ministry of Labour and… [Read More]
UN Agencies Call for $763 Million to Support Migrants and Refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants (R4V), co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has launched a major appeal for USD 763 million to support 1.2 million refugees and migrants across 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The appeal is part of the 2026… [Read More]
Philippines Turns the Tide on Typhoon Losses with Anticipatory Action
Every typhoon season in the Philippines brings a familiar cycle of devastation: flattened fields, destroyed boats, disrupted markets, and families forced into years of recovery. But amid this recurring pattern, a quiet yet transformative policy shift is taking hold. The Philippines is moving beyond reactive disaster response, embracing a governance model that acts before disaster… [Read More]
Africa Charts a Bold 10-Year Path to Affordable, Quality Medicines
African leaders and global partners have unveiled a bold 10-year regional vision to transform how essential health products are financed, produced, and delivered, aiming to ensure that everyone in the African Region can access affordable, quality-assured medicines and health technologies. The vision emerged from the Blue-Sky Visioning and Think Tank Workshop held in Johannesburg from… [Read More]
Mauritius Strengthens Health Security with WHO-Led Evaluation
Mauritius has taken a decisive step to safeguard public health by undertaking its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of International Health Regulation (IHR) capacities in November 2025, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). By voluntarily engaging in this evaluation, the country has demonstrated leadership, foresight, and commitment to ensuring the health and safety… [Read More]
Congo Leads Africa with First Antimicrobial Resistance Simulation Exercise
Health officials from the Republic of the Congo, together with World Health Organization (WHO) experts, have conducted Africa’s first simulation exercise on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), providing a practical, hands-on experience for assessing how countries detect, report, and respond to drug-resistant infections. The exercise placed participants from human and animal health sectors in a realistic outbreak… [Read More]
PAHO Strengthens Caribbean Health Systems One Month After Hurricane Melissa
One month after Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) continues to work closely with national health authorities in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba to restore essential services, prevent disease outbreaks, and reinforce health systems in the hardest-hit areas. Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on… [Read More]
Bridging the Gap: WHO/Europe Highlights Proven Practices for Disability-Inclusive Health
On this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December), WHO/Europe launched a new resource showcasing real-world strategies to advance disability-inclusive health across the Region. The report, “Good practices on disability-inclusive health”, highlights how countries are working to close persistent health gaps affecting over 135 million people with disabilities in Europe and Central Asia…. [Read More]
Ready for the Next Pandemic: Western Pacific Countries Test Regional Health Response in Annual Simulation
As health emergencies accelerate globally, 31 countries and areas across the WHO Western Pacific Region recently participated in the annual IHR Exercise Crystal, a simulation designed to test preparedness for the next pandemic. The exercise enabled participants to assess readiness, practise procedures for cross-border responses, and coordinate across multiple agencies in the event of emerging… [Read More]
WHO Mobilizes $175,000 Emergency Funds to Support Health Response in Cyclone-Hit Sri Lanka
In response to the rapidly worsening conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided US$175,000 in emergency funds to bolster essential health services across Sri Lanka. The cyclone, which made landfall on 28 November, triggered unprecedented flooding, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage, leaving multiple casualties, significant displacement, and severe disruptions to… [Read More]
FAO Launches $2.5 Billion Global Appeal to Protect Farmers and Strengthen Resilience
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched its first-ever Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal, calling for a unified and urgent response to rising levels of acute food insecurity amid tightening humanitarian resources. With a target of $2.5 billion, the Appeal aims to support over 100 million people across 54 countries… [Read More]
Adapting for Impact: A Year of Uncertainty, Innovation, and Reinvention
As 2025 draws to a close, the social sector reflects on a year that has tested its foundations. Despite remarkable resilience in the face of shrinking resources, disrupted programs, and heightened pressure on underserved populations, the data confirms what we feel in practice: the sector is fighting to stay afloat. Yet survival is not our… [Read More]
Fairness Innovation Challenge Reveals Pathways to Bias-Free AI Across Sectors
In 2023, DSIT launched the Fairness Innovation Challenge in collaboration with Innovate UK, with support from UK regulators including the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The challenge offered over £465,000 in funding to drive the development of innovative solutions to address bias and discrimination in AI systems. Despite growing attention… [Read More]
Gavi and GPEI Boards Strengthen Ties to Reach Every Child with Life-Saving Vaccines
The Boards of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recently convened for their second joint session, reaffirming their commitment to accelerating progress toward shared goals: reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children with essential vaccines and achieving polio eradication. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Omar Abdi, Vice Chair of the Gavi… [Read More]
Morocco Joins Gavi Donors with $5 Million Pledge to Strengthen Global Immunisation
The Kingdom of Morocco has made a landmark pledge of US$5 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, marking its first-ever contribution and the largest commitment from a North African nation. This donation will support Gavi’s next strategic period, 2026–2030, reinforcing Morocco’s growing role in global health security, African vaccine manufacturing, and African-led development. The pledge… [Read More]
Ireland Pledges €7.75 Million to Boost UNDP’s Global Development Impact
The Government of Ireland has reaffirmed its strong partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) by committing €7.75 million (around USD 9 million) in flexible core resources through a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding for 2024–2025. This timely support comes as the world grapples with health crises, climate change, conflicts, and natural disasters. Ireland’s contribution… [Read More]
Climate Justice in Africa: Reckoning with Colonial Legacies
The African Union has declared 2025 the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” presenting an opportunity to confront centuries of historical and ecological injustice. Now, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has a chance to turn this declaration into action by considering an advisory opinion on states’… [Read More]
Global Rights Groups Urge FIFA to Deliver a World Cup That Protects People, Not Just Profits
As FIFA prepares to hold its World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025, and award its first-ever “FIFA Peace Prize,” a coalition of human rights organizations, trade unions, and fan groups is calling on the global soccer body to translate its rhetoric on human rights into concrete action…. [Read More]
A Refuge in Ruins: Amnesty Demands Justice After RSF’s Devastating Attack on Zamzam Camp
A new report by Amnesty International reveals that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a brutal and deliberate assault on Zamzam—North Darfur’s largest camp for internally displaced persons—in April 2025, committing acts that must be investigated as war crimes under international law. The report, titled “A refuge destroyed: RSF violations in Darfur’s Zamzam camp… [Read More]
