Leading international financial institutions convened at the ILO headquarters in Geneva on 1–2 December 2025 for the IFI Symposium on Measuring and Assessing Quality of Employment. The event focused on practical ways to assess not only the number of jobs generated by development finance operations but also their quality. Participants included major development banks such… [Read More]
World Bank
EU and IFC Launch €5 Million Programme to Boost Afghanistan’s Private Sector
The European Union has signed a EUR 5 million Administration Agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to implement the Afghanistan Private Sector Stabilisation Programme. This initiative represents the ongoing EU–WBG partnership in Afghanistan, aimed at stabilizing the economy and promoting inclusive, private sector-led recovery by creating livelihoods… [Read More]
How Clean-Air Initiatives Can Save Lives and Improve Health Across South Asia
Air pollution across the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) poses a severe development challenge in South Asia, affecting nearly one billion people. The region experiences around one million premature deaths annually due to unhealthy air, with economic losses estimated at nearly 10 percent of regional GDP each year. The World Bank’s report, A Breath… [Read More]
Modernized Municipal Services to Improve Quality of Life for 1 Million People in Uzbekistan
The World Bank has approved a $250 million financing package to support Uzbekistan’s Livable and Productive Cities Program (LPCP), aimed at improving municipal infrastructure and services in 16 districts and cities. The program targets urban areas with a combined population of 3.6 million, addressing the needs of residents and businesses amid rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure,… [Read More]
Türkiye Sees Boost in Job Creation and Finance Access with World Bank Support
The World Bank Board has approved the Access to Finance for Jobs and Growth Project in Türkiye, a major initiative aimed at expanding financial access for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and promoting job creation, with a strong focus on women and youth. The project will be implemented in partnership with Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası T.A.O…. [Read More]
PNG Revenue Boost: World Bank Approves Support for Key Reforms
PORT MORESBY, December 15, 2025 — The World Bank has approved a $150 million budget support package to help Papua New Guinea advance reforms aimed at strengthening revenues, facilitating trade, creating jobs, and improving disaster resilience. PNG’s economy relies heavily on mining, oil, and gas, yet most citizens earn their livelihoods through agriculture and informal… [Read More]
World Bank Approves $150 Million Financing to Boost Private Sector and Employment in Togo
The World Bank Group has approved a $150 million International Development Association (IDA) operation to support Togo in implementing structural reforms aimed at boosting private investment, creating quality jobs, and laying the foundation for inclusive and resilient economic growth. This operation is the first in a three-year programmatic series designed to address key drivers of… [Read More]
Enhancing Fiscal Transparency in Nigeria: Key Reforms and Strategies
The World Bank has released a report titled Fiscal Governance Reform in Nigeria: Lessons from the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Program (SFTAS), analyzing one of Nigeria’s most significant subnational fiscal reform initiatives. Implemented between 2018 and 2022, the SFTAS Program aimed to strengthen fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability across the country’s 36 states,… [Read More]
Enhanced Finance Access in Uzbekistan to Support Business Growth and Job Creation
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million loan and a $5 million grant to Uzbekistan to implement the Access to Finance for Jobs and Growth Project (FINGROW), aimed at expanding credit and private equity financing for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that face capital constraints. MSMEs in Uzbekistan account… [Read More]
$20 Million from Asian Development Bank to Strengthen Vanuatu’s Fiscal Resilience and Disaster Preparedness
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $20 million in financing to strengthen fiscal sustainability and enhance Vanuatu’s disaster response capabilities. The package includes a $10 million policy-based grant to support reforms in domestic resource mobilization, public expenditure, and state-owned enterprise (SOE) management, alongside a $10 million multi-year contingent disaster financing (CDF) with a replenishment… [Read More]
What the World Bank Teaches About Innovation in Development
In rural communities, simple innovations such as mobile alerts for cash transfers or small grants for infrastructure can have transformative effects, enabling families to buy school supplies, access food, and connect to markets, schools, and clinics. These examples illustrate a larger story of innovation at the World Bank Group, where innovation is central to achieving… [Read More]
World Bank’s $200M Clean Cooking Outcome Bond Highlights Investor Appetite for Impact
The World Bank has settled its USD 200 million Clean Cooking Outcome Bond, following pricing on December 5, 2025. The bond, maturing on March 31, 2032, attracted over ten investors, including first-time participants in World Bank Outcome Bonds, reflecting growing demand for outcome-linked investments. Across the six World Bank Outcome Bonds issued to date, more… [Read More]
Papua New Guinea Revenue Reforms Receive World Bank Support
Papua New Guinea will implement reforms to strengthen revenues, facilitate trade, create jobs, and improve community protection from disasters following the World Bank Board’s approval of a US$150 million budget support package. PNG’s economy relies heavily on mining, oil, and gas, while most citizens earn a living through agriculture and informal work. Low and unpredictable… [Read More]
Global Economy Transformed by International Standards, but Developing Nations Struggle to Keep Up, Report Finds
A growing set of international standards, ranging from food labeling to 5G network specifications, is reshaping the global economic landscape, benefiting wealthy nations and multinational corporations while leaving many developing countries behind, according to the World Bank’s World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development. The report highlights that standards today function as essential economic infrastructure,… [Read More]
Economic Recovery in Laos Requires Ongoing Reforms and Road Infrastructure Preservation
Increased exports, foreign investment, and tourism have helped the Lao PDR begin emerging from a prolonged economic slowdown, according to a World Bank economic update. The report notes that further reforms in the business, finance, and infrastructure sectors are needed to sustain this progress and strengthen economic resilience. The World Bank’s Consolidating Recent Reform Momentum… [Read More]
Advancing Reforms Can Strengthen China’s Economic Prospects, Says Latest Economic Update
China’s economy sustained solid momentum in the third quarter of 2025, bringing year-to-date GDP growth to 5.2% year-on-year. Accommodative fiscal and monetary policies supported domestic consumption and investment, while demand from developing countries maintained export growth. However, households remained cautious in spending due to a soft labor market and declining home prices. Investment growth moderated… [Read More]
Uzbekistan Launches Modern Student Financing System to Expand Education Opportunities for 600,000 Young People
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $250 million loan to Uzbekistan to support the EduImkon Program, a three-year initiative aimed at expanding equitable access to student financing in higher education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The program is expected to provide tuition loans to around 600,000 young people… [Read More]
Cambodia Can Weather Economic Challenges Through Strong Buffers and Targeted Reforms, Says World Bank
Cambodia’s economy is projected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2025, down from 6 percent in 2024, as domestic and external shocks dampen activity. Prudent fiscal and monetary policies, along with targeted structural reforms, are seen as essential to cushion the slowdown and strengthen economic resilience. The December 2025 Cambodia Economic Update, Coping with Shocks,… [Read More]
PAHO Highlights Financial Protection as Key to Achieving Universal Health in the Americas
On Universal Health Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) emphasized the urgent need for countries in the Americas to strengthen public investment and financial protection mechanisms to achieve universal health. Nearly one third of total health expenditure in the region comes directly from households, well above the recommended 20% threshold, placing millions at risk… [Read More]
Guinea Secures $26 Million from African Development Fund for Mali Power Link Project
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved additional financing of $25.79 million for Guinea to advance the 225 kV Guinea-Mali electricity interconnection project. The funding, agreed in Abidjan on 10 December 2025, comes from the African Development Bank Group’s concessional window and comprises a loan of approximately $22 million and a… [Read More]
African Development Fund Approves €70.34 Million Financing for Burkina Faso Transport Sector
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund approved a €70.34 million loan to Burkina Faso on 10 December 2025 to finance the Transport Sector Support Project. The funding, provided through the African Development Bank Group’s concessional window, aims to accelerate access to the country’s interior, enhance sub-regional integration, and strengthen the resilience of… [Read More]
Universal Health Coverage: Key to Health Equity in Angola and Beyond
The story of Mr. Figueira, who struggles to balance the cost of food, his children’s schooling, and life-saving medications for high blood pressure and diabetes, highlights the harsh reality that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) seeks to address. UHC aims to guarantee access to essential health services without exposing families to financial risk, ensuring that no… [Read More]
India Secures World Bank Support for Clean Air Programs in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved financing for two major programs in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana aimed at improving air quality for approximately 270 million people, with additional benefits expected for neighboring states. Beyond environmental improvements, the programs are designed to enhance the states’ attractiveness as business destinations… [Read More]
