Local communities across England are set to benefit from a new £11.59 million government fund designed to strengthen collaboration between civil society organisations and local authorities. The funding, invested over three years, aims to improve support in areas such as mental health, adult social care, women’s refuges, and child poverty. By fostering partnerships between local… [Read More]
Extension Announced for 2026 Horticulture Investment Aid Schemes Supporting Innovation & Diversification
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced a short extension to the application deadline for the 2026 Schemes of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture. The extension affects three key schemes: the 2026 Scheme for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Capital Investments), the 2026 Scheme of Investment Aid for Innovation… [Read More]
€1 Billion Housing Infrastructure Fund: First Project Call Announced by Government
The Tánaiste Simon Harris TD and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD have announced the first call for projects under Ireland’s new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF). The €1 billion fund, to be allocated over the next five years, is aimed at boosting public infrastructure projects that unlock housing sites in… [Read More]
Ireland Invests €135M in State-Led Early Learning and Childcare Services, Says Minister Foley
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley has announced a €135 million investment to expand State-led early learning and childcare services across Ireland. The initiative aims to provide high-quality, accessible childcare, focusing on areas of greatest need and complementing existing private and community services. The programme will begin in 2026 with the acquisition and… [Read More]
Boosting Employment and Social Security: Malawi’s Locally Driven Initiatives
Across Malawi, efforts to expand employment opportunities and strengthen social protection are being implemented through a more integrated and coordinated approach. Supported by the Joint SDG Fund and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, the Government of Malawi, together with the United Nations and development partners, is linking community-level initiatives,… [Read More]
New Logistics Training Academy for African Youth Launched by IOM and DHL
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and DHL Global Forwarding have launched the Ubuntu Academy, a digital training program in Ghana aimed at equipping 10,000 young Africans with logistics and workplace skills over the coming years. The initiative targets both young people entering the workforce and returned migrants seeking to reintegrate into their communities, offering… [Read More]
Lebanon Advances Pension Reform: Key Steps Toward Financial Sustainability
Lebanon is moving forward with the implementation of its new pension scheme under Law No. 319, a landmark reform passed by Parliament in December 2023 that establishes a comprehensive pension system for private sector workers and reshapes the governance of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Recent coordination meetings between Lebanon’s Minister of Labour Mohamad… [Read More]
How Investing in Primary Health Care Can Boost Growth and Jobs in East Asia and Pacific
East Asia and Pacific (EAP) is facing a rising burden of chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that threaten to overwhelm health systems and slow economic growth. A new World Bank report, A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in EAP, emphasizes that urgent reforms in primary health care (PHC) can help the… [Read More]
Switzerland Backs WFP’s UN Humanitarian Air Service in Central African Republic
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a USD 825,000 contribution from the Government of Switzerland to support the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in the Central African Republic (CAR). This funding will ensure that UNHAS continues operating for the next three months, providing reliable air transport to remote and insecure areas… [Read More]
African Development Bank Supports Guinea’s Simandou 2040 National Development Vision
The African Development Bank Group has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Guinea’s Simandou 2040 Programme, a major sustainable development initiative targeting $200 billion in investment through 2040. Dr Sidi Ould Tah, president of the Bank Group, made these remarks during his visit to Conakry on 17 January 2026 to attend the inauguration of President Mamadi… [Read More]
IFIC Report Reveals Key Insights for a Future-Ready Integrated NHS
Following the publication of England’s 10 Year Health Plan, the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) released its report Beyond Ambition: Global Lessons for an Integrated NHS, which brings together international perspectives on translating ambition for integrated care into practical action. The report emphasizes the value of learning from global experiences to guide the NHS… [Read More]
Strengthening Minigrid Governance: AMP and AFUR Launch Regional Partnership
The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP), led by UNDP with support from RMI and the African Development Bank, has launched a strategic partnership with the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR) to strengthen regulatory frameworks for solar minigrids in nine African countries. The collaboration aims to enhance the capacity of regulators and policymakers to expand sustainable… [Read More]
Ethiopia’s Irrigation Revolution: How Farmer-Led Initiatives Are Shaping Water Management
Ethiopia’s Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) program represents a major shift from traditional top-down irrigation models to a system centered on farmer ownership. Supported by the World Bank through the Ethiopia Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), FLID empowers farmers to choose, co-finance, and manage irrigation systems while the government plays a facilitating role, providing guidance, training,… [Read More]
A Decade of Joint Action on WASH and NTDs: Lessons Learned and Remaining Gaps
Over the past decade, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) have been recognized as fundamental components of global public health, crucial for controlling, eliminating, and eradicating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Effective WASH interventions at both individual and community levels have demonstrated significant impacts in reducing NTD transmission and supporting broader health outcomes. Since 2015, the World… [Read More]
Scaling Digital Health Solutions: Three Principles for Long-Term Sustainability
Rwanda’s Health Intelligence Centre is the outcome of years of deliberate investment in the foundational elements that make up a strong national digital health backbone. Its launch by the Ministry of Health in April 2025 reflects a long-term strategy focused on reliable electricity and internet connectivity, digitized health facilities, a skilled community health workforce, and… [Read More]
Results and Lessons Learned from the Tech Emerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation Program
Rising global temperatures combined with rapid urbanization are driving an unprecedented surge in cooling demand, which is projected to increase fourfold in the coming decades. While cooling technologies are essential for economic development and human well-being, conventional systems are highly energy-intensive and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable and… [Read More]
Bilingual Peer Navigation and mHealth Interventions in Appalachia: Key Lessons for Reducing HIV and STI Disparities
The Appalachian Access Project was a community-based participatory research initiative designed to address persistent inequities in HIV, sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis C, and mpox prevention and care among gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender and nonbinary persons living in Appalachia. The bilingual peer navigation and mHealth… [Read More]
UNDP Bangladesh Hosts Suppliers’ Meet 2026 to Enhance Transparent and Sustainable Procurement
UNDP Bangladesh has a long-standing partnership with a wide range of local and international suppliers that play a critical role in delivering its programmes and projects. Over recent decades, supplier markets have changed significantly due to technological advancements, growing sustainability expectations, and increasingly complex regulatory and compliance requirements, prompting UNDP to continuously modernize its procurement… [Read More]
Mongolia’s Green and Inclusive Cities Project: Environment and Social Management Framework Overview
The Environment and Social Management Framework was prepared for the “Green and Inclusive Cities in Mongolia” project under the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Impact Program, which aims to support cities and local governments in advancing integrated urban planning and investing in nature-positive, climate-resilient, and carbon-neutral development. The program is implemented through country-level child projects, with a… [Read More]
Can AI Turn the Tide? How Technology Is Fighting Forest Fires in Bhutan
A forest fire that broke out near Sangaygang in Thimphu on January 2, 2026, served as a stark reminder that Bhutan’s fire season has begun. While this particular blaze was contained, many others burn for days despite the courageous efforts of firefighters working with limited resources. Recent years have seen increasingly frequent and intense forest… [Read More]
Transforming Development in the Digital Era: How New Technologies and Partnerships Are Driving Change
The publication offers a snapshot of UNDP’s evolving blockchain practice, examining how the organization engages with blockchain technologies as part of a broader effort to support inclusive, future-ready public systems. Positioned within the context of accelerating digital transformation and changing development finance, it explains why UNDP approaches blockchain not as a stand-alone solution, but as… [Read More]
Responding to Climate Shocks: IRC Secures Coca-Cola Foundation Investment to Expand Anticipatory Action Across Africa
With new funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the International Rescue Committee is scaling up anticipatory action responses across Africa to help communities prepare for climate-driven emergencies such as floods and droughts before they occur. This investment will enable earlier interventions, strengthen local resilience, and support faster recovery in regions increasingly affected by climate shocks. Anticipatory… [Read More]
$372 Million Approved by GEF for Global Climate, Biodiversity, and Pollution Initiatives
The Councils of the funds managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), including the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), approved work programs totaling approximately USD 372 million. These funds are intended to support climate action, biodiversity conservation, pollution… [Read More]
