Geneva/New York/Copenhagen — A global initiative to establish a stockpile of mpox vaccines was launched on 27 August, creating a long-term mechanism to ensure countries have access to vaccines when responding to mpox outbreaks. Set to begin operations later this month, this new global mpox vaccine stockpile that all countries can access is a resource…
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — A major revival of degraded land across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger was recognized today by the UN as one of three new World Restoration Flagships. Since 2018, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative has strengthened food security and livelihoods for more than four million people by rehabilitating over 335,000 hectares…
Eastern African countries are tapping the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Hand-in-Hand Initiative to unlock investment in agrifood systems, with a focus on turning the region’s agricultural potential into jobs, stronger food security and more resilient economies. The drive was highlighted in Kigali on Monday, August 24, during the opening of…
Addis Ababa — Ethiopia’s efforts to advance a circular economy and implement the Green Legacy Initiative are emerging as a model for other African countries seeking sustainable and climate-resilient development, a senior Finnish Embassy official has said. Speaking to ENA, Head of Cooperation at the Finnish Embassy in Addis Ababa, Tomi Sarkioja commended Ethiopia’s bold…
Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a Pan-African organisation, has released its 2025 Annual Impact Report, highlighting a year of exceptional organisational delivery and sustained impact across its digital rights and digital inclusion initiatives in Africa and the rest of the Global South. The report looked at the broader sector-wide developments across Africa and the rest of the…
A new guide to the UN80 Initiative, released on Wednesday, provides an overview of the progress being made so far on this ambitious, wide-ranging reform effort. The details of the guide were presented at the latest General Assembly briefing on the UN80 proposals – the fourth such meeting so far this year – held at…
The Big Catch-Up, launched during World Immunization Week 2023, has delivered over 100 million vaccine doses to an estimated 18.3 million children across 36 countries Around 12.3 million were “zero-dose children” who had not previously received any vaccines and 15 million who had never received a measles vaccine. The initiative concluded in March 2026 and…
Government officials and Vuma executives with communications minister Solly Malatsi. South African fibre network operator Vuma has connected 1 000 schools across South Africa to date, extending broadband access to an estimated 860 000 learners and 40 000 teachers. The milestone was commemorated at Molamo Primary School in Limpopo this week, where government officials, educators…
The European Union has launched the EU Humanitarian Surge Support initiative, a two-year initiative designed to reinforce the humanitarian community’s ability to respond rapidly, coherently and predictably to crises and emergencies worldwide. By building on the long-standing expertise of NORCAP and iMMAP, the initiative ensures that surge deployments are fast, efficient and complementary to ongoing…
When it comes to protecting women and girls from gender-based violence, change happens when they are “at the heart of every decision,” according to Erin Kenny, Global Coordinator of the Spotlight Initiative a United Nations-European Union partnership aimed at tackling all forms of abuse against women and girls. At the heart of change: Spotlight Initiative…
