In Cox’s Bazar, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has received funding from the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund to implement urgent interventions aimed at protecting Rohingya refugees from life-threatening landslides ahead of the monsoon season. The initiative focuses on stabilizing vulnerable slopes and strengthening community preparedness to reduce risks for tens of thousands… [Read More]
Strengthening Preventive Livestock Services in West Africa
In Dakar, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations conducted a regional online training course in early 2026 aimed at strengthening preventive livestock healthcare across West Africa. Delivered through its Virtual Learning Center for West Africa, the course focused on helping veterinarians and paraprofessionals transition from reactive disease response to proactive prevention, ultimately… [Read More]
Australia Eliminates Trachoma as Public Health Threat
The World Health Organization has validated Australia for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in both national and global health efforts. Trachoma, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, spreading through close contact, contaminated surfaces, and flies. Its elimination in Australia reflects significant… [Read More]
Vaccination and Malaria Response Improve in Angola
A mother’s urgent journey to seek care for her child with severe malaria highlights the everyday reality faced by many families in Angola. While timely treatment saved her son, malaria continues to claim thousands of lives across the country, particularly among children under five and pregnant women. With millions of cases and thousands of deaths… [Read More]
Eritrea Boosts Immunization for Hard-to-Reach Groups
Asmara and Eritrea’s mountainous central region are home to seasonally migratory and nomadic populations, making access to essential health services difficult. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, facing higher risks such as maternal mortality and gaps in immunization due to geographic isolation, mobility, and cultural factors. To address these challenges, flexible and community-driven outreach approaches… [Read More]
Digital Tools Transform Farming in Southeast Asia
Access to essential resources such as markets, financial services, weather data, and technical support remains limited for around 100 million small-scale farmers in Southeast Asia, who produce the majority of the region’s food. Despite this, widespread smartphone ownership—reaching more than three-quarters of the population—has opened new opportunities for digital technologies to reshape agriculture. These tools… [Read More]
Supply Chain Finance Boost for African Businesses by IFC and Standard Chartered
The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Standard Chartered have announced a new $300 million risk-sharing facility to strengthen supply chains and support business growth across Africa. The initiative will operate in eight countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, and will focus on key sectors such… [Read More]
Nigeria Energy Access Boosted by IFC and Norfund Initiative
A new initiative led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with Norfund aims to expand access to reliable, renewable electricity for nearly 500,000 households and businesses in underserved communities across Nigeria. The program focuses on scaling off-grid and distributed energy solutions to strengthen local economies, support… [Read More]
New FIFA Rule Grants Recognition to Afghan Women’s Team
The FIFA Council has approved amendments to its Governance Regulations that allow for the official recognition of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team in exile, marking a major development for gender equity and human rights in sport. The decision, taken on April 29, 2026, enables FIFA to register national teams for official competitions when their home… [Read More]
US Court Upholds Right to Seek Asylum
A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on April 24 that the government cannot deny asylum seekers the right to apply for asylum simply because they arrive at the southern border. The court rejected the Trump administration’s policy based on an Inauguration Day proclamation describing an… [Read More]
Transgender Rights in Nepal Face Stagnation
Nepali authorities have halted the processing of applications for transgender people seeking to change their legal gender on identity documents, marking a significant setback in the country’s previously progressive approach to gender identity recognition. Human Rights Watch reports that this suspension undermines years of legal and policy advances rooted in Nepal’s Supreme Court ruling of… [Read More]
Middle East Crisis: Call for Sustainable Ceasefire and Civilian Protection
Amnesty International has warned that fragile and temporary ceasefires across the Middle East, including those involving the United States, Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, must be urgently replaced with a comprehensive and sustained regional ceasefire to prevent further civilian suffering and uphold international law. Despite a reduction in hostilities, violence continues across multiple countries, with ongoing… [Read More]
UN: Fossil Fuel Energy System ‘Inherently Volatile and Unstable’
The recent Transition Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) conference in Santa Marta, Colombia brought together more than 53 countries, along with representatives from academia, business, and civil society, to discuss practical pathways for moving beyond coal, oil, and gas toward renewable energy systems, following limited progress on fossil fuel phase-out at COP30 in Brazil. UN… [Read More]
Iran Crackdown Intensifies, UN Rights Chief Issues Warning
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed alarm over a sharp escalation in repression in Iran amid ongoing conflict, warning that fundamental rights are being increasingly violated. According to the UN human rights office, at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since late… [Read More]
Ontario Invests $20M+ in Local Festivals and Events
The Government of Ontario is investing over $20 million through the Experience Ontario 2026 program to support nearly 400 festivals and events across the province, aiming to strengthen tourism, create jobs, and promote local culture and identity. The funding will help municipalities and organizers deliver a wide range of events, including music, food, arts, Indigenous,… [Read More]
Minister Heydon Unveils €100m Fuel Aid for Farmers, Contractors, Fishers
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has announced further details of a €100 million Fuel Support Scheme aimed at assisting farmers, agricultural contractors, and fishers facing sharp increases in fuel costs. The scheme is designed as a targeted income support measure based on verified fuel usage, with payments equivalent to around €200… [Read More]
Four Green Financing Trends Shaping Development Finance
At the Financing for Development Forum, countries reviewed progress on the Sevilla Commitment, a UN-led effort aimed at closing the $4 trillion financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals, amid a challenging global context marked by declining official development assistance, falling foreign direct investment, and rising debt burdens in developing countries. Despite these pressures, the… [Read More]
IOM and Norway Strengthen Migration Cooperation
The Government of Norway and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held high-level strategic discussions in Geneva to strengthen cooperation in response to rising global displacement and increasingly complex migration flows driven by crises, instability, and economic pressures. The meeting focused on scaling up practical, coordinated responses to protect migrants and displaced people, while supporting… [Read More]
ILO-EU-Sweden Programme Expands Jobs and Entrepreneurship in Bosnia
The EU4EMPLOYMENT programme, funded by the European Union and Sweden and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), has helped more than 800 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina secure jobs or start their own businesses, while over 6,600 beneficiaries received support to improve their labour market skills and integration. The initiative combined training, employment counselling,… [Read More]
Indonesia Promotes Trade-Investment Policy Alignment for Jobs
The Government of Indonesia, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), is advancing efforts to better integrate trade and investment policies with decent work objectives to ensure more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. At a national dialogue in Jakarta, officials highlighted that while Indonesia continues to achieve steady economic growth of around five percent… [Read More]
Ukraine and ILO Strengthen Institutional Partnership
The Government of Ukraine and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed an Agreement on Privileges and Immunities for the ILO and its Office in Ukraine, strengthening the Organization’s legal and operational framework in the country and enabling expanded support for labour market development and recovery efforts. The agreement, signed by Ukraine’s Minister of Economy,… [Read More]
Brazil and ILO Boost South–South Cooperation on Care Economy
The Government of Brazil and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched a new South–South cooperation project to strengthen care policies and promote knowledge exchange across Latin America and the Caribbean. Developed under the Brazil–ILO “Social Justice for the Global South” programme, the initiative aims to support the design and implementation of public policies that… [Read More]
Jobs Grow in Ghana’s Agriculture Sector but Gaps Remain
A recent JobAgri project workshop in Ghana, led by the ILO with government, social partners and technical experts, highlights that while agriculture remains one of the country’s largest employers, significant challenges persist in job quality, productivity and equity. The findings show that most agricultural work is carried out by family labour within smallholder households, with… [Read More]
