Navigating development in Indonesia, a country spread across 17,000 islands with vast geographic and social diversity, poses significant challenges for policymakers. National statistics often mask regional disparities, making it difficult to address issues such as maternal and neonatal mortality, poverty, malnutrition, and unequal access to education. To bridge these data gaps, Indonesia has turned to… [Read More]
New IOM Program Aims to Improve West Africa’s Capacity to Address Missing Migrants
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the governments of The Gambia and Mauritania to strengthen their capacities to address migrant deaths and disappearances along routes connecting Africa and Europe. This pioneering effort, the first of its kind in West Africa, will utilize IOM’s extensive expertise in missing… [Read More]
ILO Members Unite to Strengthen the Global Flagship Programme on Social Protection Floors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) convened the Global Tripartite Advisory Committee (GTAC) meeting in Geneva on 29 October 2025 to assess the progress of its Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All and to chart its next phase. The GTAC, which brings together representatives from governments, employers, and workers, serves as a… [Read More]
Global Experts Convene in Bordeaux to Strengthen Standards for Cooperative and Social Economy Data
An international workshop held in Bordeaux, France, from October 29–30, 2025, brought together 35 experts from five regions to strengthen global standards for statistics on cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE). Organized jointly by the COPAC Technical Working Group on Measuring the Economic Contribution of Cooperatives (TWG-MECC) and the UNTFSSE Technical Working… [Read More]
Saudi Arabia Strengthens Cooperative Development Through Institutional Capacity Building and Training
Saudi Arabia has taken another significant step toward strengthening its cooperative sector through institutional development and capacity-building initiatives. As part of the ongoing “Fostering Cooperative Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” project, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Cooperative Societies Council… [Read More]
New Reforms Aim to Narrow Ukraine’s Gender Pay Gap and Promote Equal Pay
As Ukraine continues to defend its independence and rebuild amid the challenges of war, the country is also making significant progress toward ensuring equal pay for men and women. On October 22, a strategic session held in Kyiv, co-organized by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and the International Labour Organization (ILO), marked an… [Read More]
Global Freshwater Losses Each Year Enough to Meet the Needs of 280 Million People
The world is losing an estimated 324 billion cubic meters of freshwater each year—enough to meet the annual needs of 280 million people—according to the World Bank’s first Global Water Monitoring Report, titled Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future. Released in Washington, the report highlights how worsening droughts, unsustainable water management, weak pricing… [Read More]
Pakistan Urged to Close Gaps in Social Protection to Ensure Inclusion for All
The National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s social protection system, designed to identify and support vulnerable families across the country. Since its establishment in 2010, the registry has grown significantly—from covering 25.5 million families to 40 million by 2025—marking a major step forward in inclusive data collection. It underpins numerous government programs,… [Read More]
One Million Gaza Residents Receive WFP Food Parcels, But Access Constraints Threaten Aid Scale-Up
Three weeks into the ceasefire, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has successfully distributed food parcels to one million people in the Gaza Strip as part of its ongoing efforts to combat hunger in the war-affected region. However, to further scale up these operations and meet the needs of the population, WFP stresses the… [Read More]
FAO Leads Efforts to Strengthen Biodiversity Governance at Landmark Gaborone Summit
Conflict and Access Restrictions Drive Rising Hunger and Malnutrition in South Sudan
The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is facing a worsening food and nutrition crisis that could escalate further without urgent humanitarian intervention. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, over half of the population—approximately 7.56 million people—are projected to experience crisis or worse levels of hunger during the 2026… [Read More]
UN Development Programme Calls for Stronger Policies to Help 400 Million Escape Poverty for Good
According to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), an estimated 411 million people could move from poverty to basic security by 2030 if governments implement targeted, context-specific policies that promote job-intensive growth, adaptive social protection, and higher wages. The report, released ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development in… [Read More]
Sudan Faces Famine in El Fasher and Kadugli, While Hunger Eases in Peaceful Areas
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF have warned that famine conditions have been confirmed in Sudan’s El Fasher and Kadugli, where conflict and siege have cut communities off from humanitarian aid and food supplies. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report highlights stark contrasts across the… [Read More]
Asian Development Bank, Mongolia Sign Framework to Strengthen Social Sector and Disaster Preparedness
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Mongolia have signed a $475 million Financial Framework Arrangement to enhance their partnership in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth. The agreement, signed in Ulaanbaatar by Minister of Finance and ADB Governor Javkhlan Bold and ADB Country Director Shannon Cowlin, aims to streamline project preparation and approval… [Read More]
African Development Bank Group Provides €58 Million to Support Youth Jobs in Equatorial Guinea
The African Development Bank Group and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea have signed a €58.61 million financing agreement to implement the first phase of the Project to Strengthen Human Capital in Support of Economic and Social Inclusion (PARCH 1). The agreement, signed on 30 October 2025 in the city of Bata by Léandre Bassolé, the… [Read More]
Green Climate Fund Grants USD 16 Million to Tata Capital to Support Climate Innovation in India
Tata Capital Limited, the flagship financial services arm of the Tata Group, has announced the receipt of a first-of-its-kind $16 million revolving facility from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) under the Beacon India Programme. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s green start-up ecosystem by supporting early-stage climate-tech ventures. The program will be implemented in collaboration… [Read More]
Nations Mobilize Global Partnerships to Strengthen National Programs Against Hunger and Poverty
Several countries have unveiled ambitious national programs to fight hunger and poverty through a new model of coordinated international cooperation. During the First Leaders’ Meeting of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in Doha, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, and Zambia presented detailed implementation plans supported by international financial institutions, bilateral donors, UN agencies, and philanthropic… [Read More]
Germany Commits €45 Million Per Year to GPE from 2027–2032 to Advance Education for 750 Million Children
Germany has announced a landmark multiannual pledge of €45 million a year between 2027 and 2032 to the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) “Multiply Possibility” campaign, reinforcing its global leadership in advancing quality education. The announcement was made in Berlin during an event hosted by Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan,… [Read More]
Ontario Announces $26.7 Million Investment to Strengthen Support for Gender-Based Violence Survivors
The Ontario government has announced an additional investment of $26.7 million over two years to expand shelter spaces and strengthen support programs for survivors of gender-based violence. The funding aims to enhance accessibility at emergency shelters across the province and improve assistance for victims navigating the family court system. This initiative is part of Ontario’s… [Read More]
Afghanistan Earthquakes: Thousands of Children Forced to Flee Homes Again
A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, with the epicentre located in Samangan province, about an hour from Mazar-e-Sharif. The tremors were felt as far away as Kabul and even parts of Pakistan, sending waves of panic through communities as families and children fled their homes in fear…. [Read More]
Global Immunization Priorities: Highlights from the SAGE September 2025 Meeting
The September 2025 meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), held from 22–25 September alongside the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG), underscored both the progress and ongoing challenges in global immunization. While global vaccination coverage has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, recovery remains uneven, especially in fragile and conflict-affected regions. Persistent… [Read More]
WHO Issues Urgent Call to Address Drastic Reductions in Global Health Funding
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance to help countries mitigate the immediate and long-term impacts of sharp reductions in external health funding, which are severely affecting essential health services in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The report, titled “Responding to the health financing emergency: immediate measures and longer-term shifts,” outlines practical… [Read More]
How Integrating Family Planning with Maternal Health Services Saves Mothers’ Lives Worldwide
A new study published in The Lancet Global Health provides strong evidence that the global decline in maternal deaths over the past two decades has been largely driven by advances in both family planning and maternity care. The paper, titled “Effect of maternity care improvement, fertility decline, and contraceptive use on global maternal mortality reduction… [Read More]
