Across Asia, nonprofits are pioneering the development of green technologies to combat water pollution, plastic waste, and hazardous air quality. With support from Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), AVPN’s APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab (SSL) is helping these organisations go beyond simply securing funding. SSL provides technical expertise, communication training, and visibility support, enabling… [Read More]
When Finance Meets Innovation: Lessons from the Joint SDG Fund
In recent years, the Joint SDG Fund set out to test a bold idea: instead of distributing grants in the traditional way, what if UN resources were used as catalytic investments to mobilize far greater levels of private and commercial capital for sustainable development? Working with various UN agencies, the Fund deployed $70 million across… [Read More]
AfDB Approves $19.7 Million Grant to Boost Urban Resilience for Displaced Communities in Somalia
The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $19.7 million grant to improve living conditions for 20,000 vulnerable households and support the local integration of over 128,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Doolow, one of Somalia’s most fragile border towns. The funding, part of the Transition Support Facility for Somalia’s Strengthening Urban Resilience Project, will… [Read More]
AfDB Approves €17.7 Million to Boost Cabo Verde’s Digital Transformation
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a €17.71 million loan to support the second phase of Cabo Verde’s E-Governance and Public Financial Management Reform Programme, continuing efforts to harness technology for economic growth and more efficient public administration. “The goal of this support is to stimulate growth through digitisation and private-sector competitiveness, while modernising… [Read More]
AfDB Greenlights $214 Million Phase II for South Sudan–Ethiopia–Djibouti Transport Corridor
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $214.47 million to launch Phase II of the South Sudan–Ethiopia–Djibouti Transport Corridor Project, a strategic initiative to boost regional connectivity, trade, and economic development. The financing, drawn from the Bank’s concessional window, includes $181.5 million for Ethiopia, $29.71 million for Djibouti, $1.96 million for South Sudan, and an… [Read More]
African Development Bank Approves $1.78 Billion Strategy to Transform Namibia’s Economy and Create Jobs
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a landmark $1.78 billion Country Strategy Paper (CSP) to drive Namibia’s economic transformation and foster inclusive growth over the 2025–2030 period. The initiative aims to tackle some of the country’s most pressing challenges, including youth unemployment exceeding 40 percent and a decline in per capita income from $5,942… [Read More]
ADB Announces Emergency Flood Relief Grants for Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda has announced immediate emergency grant support in response to severe flooding across the region. Grants of up to $3 million for Sri Lanka, $2 million for Thailand, and $2 million for Viet Nam will be provided following requests from the respective governments. “I am deeply saddened by the… [Read More]
ADB Approves $100 Million Support to Strengthen Sri Lanka’s Power Sector Reforms
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million policy-based loan to support Sri Lanka in advancing reforms in its power sector, building on previous efforts to ensure a financially sustainable and efficient electricity system. This financing, part of the second subprogram of ADB’s Power Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Program, will accelerate the… [Read More]
EU Provides €3 Million to Strengthen WFP Emergency Preparedness Across MENAEE Region
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a €3 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to enhance its ability to respond rapidly and effectively to humanitarian crises across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe (MENAEE), one of the world’s most crisis-prone regions. The funding, provided through the EU’s Directorate General… [Read More]
Local Food Procurement from Smallholder Farmers Boosts Food Security and Nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean
A new report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) highlights the transformative potential of public food procurement from smallholder farmers to strengthen food security, nutrition, and inclusive economic growth across the region. Smallholder farmers account for… [Read More]
Republic of Korea Pledges USD 17 Million to Support WFP’s Lifesaving Work Worldwide
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a USD 17 million core contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK), bolstering its ability to deliver lifesaving assistance to vulnerable communities around the world. Core funding allows WFP to allocate resources where they are needed most, enabling rapid and… [Read More]
UK Businesses Get £1.1 Million Boost to Transform Freight and Logistics
The UK government is providing nearly £1.1 million in funding to support British businesses trialling cutting-edge technologies that could revolutionize the freight and logistics sector. Through the Freight Innovation Fund, up to £130,000 each will be awarded to nine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exploring solutions to key industry challenges, from decarbonisation and efficiency to… [Read More]
UK Artists Get Boost to Go Global as £1.6 Million Music Export Scheme Opens
The Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), which has helped propel UK artists to international acclaim, has opened a new funding round with £1.6 million available to support emerging talent in taking their music to global audiences. Backed by the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, MEGS has invested… [Read More]
UK Pledges £10 Million to Keep Ukraine Warm Amid Winter Crisis
At the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels on 3 December, the UK Foreign Secretary pledged an additional £10 million to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, making Britain the largest donor to the fund this year. The contribution will support urgent repairs to Ukraine’s energy, heating, and water infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, helping hundreds of… [Read More]
Sudan’s Civilians Struggle Amid Siege Conditions as Aid Falls Short
Civilians across Sudan’s Kordofan region are enduring extreme hardship as conflict escalates, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday. Communities in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan are effectively trapped in “siege conditions,” while sustained attacks in West Kordofan further threaten safety, UNICEF reports. The situation remains dire in… [Read More]
UN Warns of Rising Landmine Deaths as Funding Shortfalls Threaten Lives
The deadly legacy of conflicts from Afghanistan to Sudan continues to maim and kill civilians, with children disproportionately affected, UN mine action experts warned at a high-level meeting in Geneva on Wednesday. According to the UN-partnered Landmine Monitor report, 77 per cent of all casualties in Afghanistan last year were children. Some 54 people die… [Read More]
Myanmar Opium Cultivation Hits 10-Year High Amid Conflict and Economic Turmoil
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]
