The ILO Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit (COOP/SSE) highlighted the role of cooperatives in care provision during the South4Care: Strengthening South-South Cooperation for the Care Economy event held from 15 to 18 September 2025 in Doha, Qatar. The event marked the launch of the ILO South-4-Care Platform and the first edition of the Learning… [Read More]
ILO Applauds Papua New Guinea’s New National Minimum Wage Policy
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) recent increase in its national minimum wage as a landmark achievement for labour rights and social development. Announced on 18 September 2025 during PNG’s 50th Independence celebrations, the new minimum wage will rise from PGK 3.50 (US$0.84) to PGK 5.00 (US$1.20) in 2026, with… [Read More]
Myanmar’s Rohingya Plight: Urgent Call for International Action
The deepening crisis in Myanmar has intensified the suffering of the Rohingya Muslim community, who continue to face statelessness, displacement, and persecution. More than a million Rohingya now live as refugees in Bangladesh, while countless others remain internally displaced under dire and unsustainable conditions. UN leaders have warned that the ongoing crisis threatens regional stability… [Read More]
Haiti: UN Security Council Authorizes ‘Suppression Force’ to Combat Rising Gang Attacks
The UN Security Council has authorized the creation of a new multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti to replace the Kenyan-led security support mission, amid escalating gang violence, widespread human rights abuses, and a severe humanitarian crisis affecting all aspects of life in the country. The resolution, co-sponsored by Panama and the United States… [Read More]
Scaling Up Renewable Energy and Low-Carbon Solutions in East Asia and Pacific
Strong economic growth in the East Asia and Pacific region has been accompanied by increasing fossil fuel consumption and rising greenhouse gas emissions, with the region now responsible for over a third of global emissions. To sustain growth, reduce poverty, and meet nationally determined climate commitments, decarbonizing the power sector is essential. The World Bank… [Read More]
South Kivu, DRC: UN Warns of Harassment and Abuses Targeting Women Human Rights Activists
A UN expert has raised serious concerns over the abduction and alleged sexual violence inflicted on four women human rights defenders in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the killing of the mother of one of the activists. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, described these… [Read More]
Development at Risk: UN Committee Calls for Action to Protect the Planet
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has issued new guidance emphasizing that climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are directly undermining fundamental human rights, including access to food, housing, health, education, and cultural practices. The guidance, contained in General Comment No. 27, stresses that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is… [Read More]
Global Call: Amnesty International Demands FIFA and UEFA Suspend Israeli Football Association
Amnesty International has called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) from all competitions until it removes clubs based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) from Israel’s football leagues. The organization highlighted that at least six clubs from settlements continue to compete in Israeli leagues, violating both international… [Read More]
Systematic Repression: How China Uses Courts Against Human Rights Activists
Amnesty International has released a report revealing that Chinese courts are systematically used to suppress human rights defenders through vague national security and public order laws. The briefing, How could this verdict be ‘legal’?, analyzes over 100 judicial documents from 68 cases involving 64 activists over the past decade, showing that courts frequently convict peaceful… [Read More]
UNDP and Japan Hand Over Mobile Offices to Support Human Rights Protection in Ukraine
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with support from the Government of Japan, has handed over three mobile reception offices to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. These mobile units are designed to operate in areas with high numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and at evacuation sites, providing rights-based consultations and… [Read More]
Václav Havel Prize 2025 Goes to Ukrainian Journalist for Courage in Journalism
Ukrainian journalist and human-rights defender Maksym Butkevych has been awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, which recognizes outstanding civil-society action in defense of human rights. The prize was presented on 29 September during the opening day of the autumn plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. Butkevych… [Read More]
Yemen: Second Polio Vaccination Campaign Begins with WHO, UNICEF, and MoPHP Support
The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP), together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, launched the second round of Yemen’s polio vaccination campaign across 12 government-controlled governorates. Running from 29 September to 1 October 2025, the three-day campaign aims to immunize over 1.3 million children under the age of five against poliovirus…. [Read More]
PAHO Recognizes Peruvian Physician for Outstanding Health Services Leadership
Dr. July Esther Caballero Peralta of Peru has been honored with the 2025 PAHO Award for Health Services Management and Leadership. The award was presented during the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which brought together top health authorities from across the Americas. The recognition highlights Dr. Caballero’s leadership in expanding… [Read More]
Expanding Fair Access to High-Price Health Technologies: Americas Reach Regional Agreement
Health authorities from across the Americas have approved a new regional policy to expand access to high-cost and high-price health technologies, including medicines and vaccines. The agreement was reached during the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and aims to ensure that essential technologies are accessible to all who need them…. [Read More]
Addressing Ageing Populations and Non-Communicable Diseases: WHO Partners with Kanagawa, Japan
As population ageing accelerates across Asia and the Pacific, driving higher rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the Government of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan and the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office have formalized a partnership to address these megatrends and inform regional health policy. The agreement was signed in Yokohama by Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa and… [Read More]
Unlocking Timor-Leste’s Economic Potential Through Land Reform, Says World Bank
Timor-Leste’s economy grew by 4.1 percent in 2024, marking its fastest pace in years. While growth has continued into 2025, sustaining this momentum and ensuring long-term prosperity will require reforms to strengthen land governance, reduce dependence on Petroleum Fund withdrawals, broaden domestic revenues, and enhance the efficiency of public spending. The September 2025 edition of… [Read More]
Enhancing Revenue Collection and Public Spending Efficiency to Strengthen Uganda’s Economy
Uganda’s economy continues to demonstrate strong performance, with real GDP accelerating from 6.1% to 6.8% between July 2024 and March 2025, according to the World Bank’s 25th Uganda Economic Update: Increasing Uganda’s Fiscal Space through Improved Revenue Mobilization and Enhanced Efficiency of Spending and Service Delivery. Growth was primarily driven by the supply side, particularly… [Read More]
Uganda Can Accelerate Economic Growth Through Improved Fiscal Management and Job Creation
Uganda’s economic growth remained strong, with real GDP rising from 6.1% to 6.8% between July 2024 and March 2025, driven largely by agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and household and government consumption, while the services sector experienced a slowdown. Inflation remained moderate at 3.5% in FY2024/2025, below the central bank’s 5% target, supported by stable food supply,… [Read More]
World Bank Supports Costa Rica in Strengthening Public Finances and Employment Opportunities
The World Bank’s Executive Board has approved a US$300 million loan to support Costa Rica in improving fiscal management and promoting sustainable economic activities that generate quality jobs, particularly in rural and coastal areas. The initiative aims to modernize fiscal and environmental policies to enhance service delivery in key sectors such as health, education, and… [Read More]
Rwanda Receives Enhanced World Bank Support to Tackle Natural Disaster Risks
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Financing (DPF) with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) for Rwanda, aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters, protecting both lives and livelihoods. This initiative comes as Rwanda faces increasing vulnerability to… [Read More]
Driving Clean Transport: Rwanda Invests in Energy Infrastructure for E-Mobility
Rwanda’s ambitious plan to electrify 20 percent of its bus fleet by 2030 will require significant investment in energy infrastructure, clear policy frameworks, and innovative financing, according to a new World Bank report. The study, Exploring Enabling Energy Frameworks for Electric Mobility in Rwanda, evaluates the readiness of the power sector to support the transition,… [Read More]
Central Viet Nam to Gain Flood Resilience and Better Connectivity with World Bank Support
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a new project designed to strengthen flood protection and transport connectivity in Da Nang City and Gia Lai Province in central Viet Nam. The initiative will benefit more than 1.2 million people by enhancing flood safety, ensuring reliable evacuation routes, and improving consistent access to markets… [Read More]
New Africa Water Center Launched in West Africa to Tackle Drought Challenges
A two-day High-Level Forum on Defying Drought (D2) in West Africa concluded in Ouagadougou with strong commitments to tackle the growing challenges of drought in the region against the backdrop of climate change and population growth. Senior policymakers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, alongside experts from Morocco, Brazil, and various development… [Read More]
