Articles

Getting under way in Manama, the fifth World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF), with a key focus on Arab and African regions, is being held under the theme of ‘Achieving the [Sustainable Development Goals] through Fostering Innovation and Economic Growth’. Over the next three days, the forum will weigh urgent issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change, examined within the framework of the SDGs. With a robust coalition of stakeholders driving the agenda, the WEIF sets the...

In a new report published on Thursday UNDP said that the middle class has shrunk by half, compared with before the 2021 military coup, and that three quarters of the country’s population is either living in poverty or “perilously close” to the national poverty line. “The new data show that less than 25 per cent of the population in Myanmar manage to secure steady incomes to live above the poverty line. Without immediate interventions to provide cash transfers, food security and access to...

This is a four million increase in the number of people currently dealing with food insecurity in that region. Mali is facing the worst situation – around 2,600 people there are presumed to be experiencing catastrophic hunger – IPC food classification index phase 5 (read our explainer on the IPC system here). “The time to act is now. We need all partners to step up, engage, adopt and implement innovative programs to prevent the situation from getting out of control while ensuring no one is...

Addressing a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on debt sustainability, António Guterres outlined the crippling impact of debt on developing economies. “No example of the international financial architecture’s failure is more glaring than its handling of debt. The last four years have been nothing short of a debt disaster,” he said. He noted that the burden of servicing external debt leaves many countries with little to invest in their own people. Startling figures According to...

16 April 2024Economic Development The President of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday highlighted the urgent need to boost sustainable and resilient tourism practices to protect the environment while continuing to benefit local economies. Addressing a high-level meeting on tourism as part of the General Assembly’s first ever Sustainability Week, Dennis Francis said it was a vital driver of economic growth and empowerment. In 2023, the sector contributed three per cent to the global...

17 April 2024Economic Development Despite facing formidable challenges, women-owned and run businesses in Afghanistan continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience, serving as vital pillars of economic stability and hope amidst adversity, a new UN report has found. Released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday, Listening to Women Entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, Their Struggle and Resilience, analyses data collected over the last three years, providing one of the most...

Opening its High-level Meeting on Sustainable Transport, Assembly President Dennis Francis urged countries to seize the opportunity to shape a green, inclusive and prosperous future for today and generations to come. “From public transport to maritime transport, we must embrace innovation-driven approaches – to make sustainable transport a reality for all,” he said. Ensure equal access He stressed that with over one billion people, roughly one-eighth of the planet, lacking access to...

18 April 2024Economic Development The President of the UN General Assembly on Thursday underscored the critical need for resilient infrastructure if the world is to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline. In a special meeting dedicated to building resilience and promoting sustainable development through infrastructure connectivity, Dennis Francis emphasised the importance of quality and endurance. “Quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient...

20 April 2024Economic Development Vanessa Winston’s home and business in the Caribbean island of Dominica were destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Starting from scratch, the mother of four fought back and today, with UN support, she has rebuilt her life. 44-year-old Vanessa Winston lives in Roseau, the capital of Dominica, where she runs a small-scale business primarily making bespoke, hand-made fashion accessories. She is also President of the UN-supported Dominica Arts & Craft...

“I was not aware that vegetables were that important or how to grow them,” said the 25-year-old farmer from Idas in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. “Now I do.” She, along with 50 of her neighbours in this village among the rolling hills of northwest Borneo, received vegetable seeds and the opportunity to participate in a training course on how to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peanuts, foods that should make their families less prone to diseases. Kornelia Icha sorts through...