This week we take a look at Republicans’ approach to foreign policy if Donald Trump were to win in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections in November. From implementing cuts to changing the United States’ foreign aid priorities, we dig into what a second Trump presidency would mean for the global development sector.  We also reported on new data from USAID which shows that just 9.6% of the agency’s eligible dollars were channeled toward local groups last year — rather than major...

This week we take a look at the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where 578,000 have been displaced, mostly due to violence. We explore what is being done to address the hardships faced by the affected population, including bringing essential food supplies, as well as discuss what life is like on the ground.  On the topic of food insecurity, we also dig into a UNICEF report, which found that 181 million children under age 5 worldwide are experiencing severe food poverty — which can have lifelong...

This week we reported on a House foreign affairs subcommittee hearing in which Republicans tried to paint the U.S. government’s entire approach to foreign assistance as wasteful and counterproductive — but they faced pushback from Democrats who argued that human rights grants are critical in the global contest between democracy and autocracy.  The hearing took place against the backdrop of a proposed House of Representatives budget bill that would impose an 11% cut across U.S. foreign...

In 2020, media reports and an independent investigation revealed one of the largest sexual misconduct scandals in U.N. history, in which more than 50 women accused ebola aid workers — including World Health Organization staffers — of sexual exploitation and abuse during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic of Congo.   At last year’s World Health Assembly, WHO’s Dr. Gaya Gamhewage spoke at length about the organization's new policies for addressing sexual misconduct allegations. Gamhewage...

This week Devex’s editorial team was on the ground in Geneva, Switzerland, closely following the conversations taking place at the 77th World Health Assembly. As well as attending the summit itself, we also hosted Devex CheckUp @ WHA 77, our very own event happening on the sidelines of the main event. From following the pandemic treaty negotiations to addressing global health issues, we provide an update from the conference that brings together health leaders from around the world.  We also...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of populations across Africa were put at risk because of dysfunctional global health systems. For example, African nations were at the back of the queue for medical countermeasures, including vaccines. In the wake of the pandemic, leaders across the continent have worked to build stronger health systems — but there are still barriers at the international level standing in the way.  At this week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva, health leaders from...

A two-year negotiation process for a pandemic treaty concluded on Friday without reaching a consensus, as countries remained divided on numerous provisions, including technology transfer and equitable access to medical products. This week, health officials at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, will need to determine the next steps. Before Friday’s decision, Devex Senior Reporter Jenny Lei Ravelo spoke with K.M. Gopakumar, legal adviser for the Third World Network, an...

This week we report on Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Washington, D.C., the first by an African leader since 2008. We dig into what the occasion means for the relationship between Kenya and the wider African continent, including whether it will lead to closer economic ties between the United States and Africa as a whole. During the conversation, we also look back at our interview with Sen. Chris Coons about the visit, in which we discussed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or...

This week marked a significant development in the philanthropic world with Melinda French Gates resigning from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on the "next chapter" of her philanthropy. As part of the separation agreement with her former husband Bill Gates, French Gates will receive an additional $12.5 billion for her work on behalf of women and families, an area which she has been pushing to get involved with.  On the topic of philanthropy, we also took a look at where...

The European Parliamentary elections will take place next month, and with anti-aid and anti-migrant parties poised to make big gains, there are fears for the future of the world's second-largest development budget.  According to one senior Brussels politician, the controversial swiping of €2 billion from the development pot to fund a crackdown on illegal migration could just be the start of the European Union’s reduced focus on supporting global development initiatives. We explore how...

This week we discuss the establishment of the Africa Club by the African Union, an initiative that the continent’s leaders hope will drive reform of the global financial architecture. With African states currently spending more on debt repayments than they are on health care or climate action, the goal is for the alliance to leverage more funding for global development efforts.  On the topic of Africa, we also reported on a gathering of African leaders who outlined their funding priorities...

IDA, or International Development Association is the world bank’s fund for the poorest countries. IDA provides grants and low-cost loans that countries can use for a variety of needs from health to education to infrastructure. This year it's up for replenishment and so the bank is going to donors to ask for a new influx of capital. In this episode, we speak to Dirk Reinnerman, the Director of the IDA Resource Mobilization and IBRD Corporate Finance at the World Bank, about his pitch to...

Last week we were the media partner at the Global Inclusive Growth Summit hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The conference focused on how access to financial services are key to helping drive global development in low- and middle-income countries.  During one of the events, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley stressed the importance of debt restructuring in order to help low- and middle-income countries overcome health and climate change challenges. We discuss the value...

As finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 nations concluded their recent meetings, concerns over the pace and stability of global economic recovery took center stage. In an exclusive conversation with Achim Steiner, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), key insights emerged regarding the discussions surrounding coordination, the global financial architecture, and pressing challenges facing developing economies.

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are trying to evolve and prove they are fit for purpose, but the jury is out on just how far that evolution process has gone.  While numerous announcements were made at the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings last week in Washington D.C., the pace of reform is too slow, according to several experts. “The rhetoric in terms of the important pronouncements that have been made are saying the right things, but they're not giving you the next three things...

How can the World Bank play a role in attracting more private capital to address development and climate needs? That is a challenge that World Bank President Ajay Banga has prioritized and was a key discussion in Washington, D.C., last week at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings. From a Private Sector Investment Lab charged with helping the bank identify and scale what already works to a new loan guarantee platform and plans to bundle and sell some International...

This week we are closely following the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings taking place in  Washington, D.C. From having a capital increase to provide funding for the world's low-income countries to how the financial institution can support the fight against climate change, we dig into the key conversations we’re following at the conference.  In addition to increasing risk appetite to encourage private capital mobilization, we argue that multilateral development...

The World Bank is about 18 months into its efforts to reform the institution in response to shareholder demands and changing global needs. From stretching its existing funding to attracting more private capital, the bank has laid a laundry list of proposals on the table. So what has been accomplished thus far and what more is needed? That’s what we tackle in the first episode of a special edition podcast during this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, which...

As the war in Gaza stretches past the six-month mark, this week we had an exclusive story on Israel’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle UNRWA, the United Nations agency leading the humanitarian response for Palestinians. The agency — caught in a political war — was forced to ground its fleet of trucks, cars, and security specialists used by other U.N. agencies delivering support to those affected by the conflict.  We have also been closely following the conversations around localization. A...

Last week, we launched Roots of Change, a Devex series on locally led development, which explores how the localization agenda can be elevated from rhetoric to reality. We have been following the discussions around localization for the past couple of years and the progress made toward empowering local communities in shaping global development initiatives. As part of the series, we published an article that outlines five key takeaways we learned about the current state of the debate based on...

This week, we reported that at the Employees at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems — a 37-year-old pro-democracy organization based outside Washington, D.C. — employees formed a new staff union to confront their organization’s president and CEO over labor rights. The issue is entangled within the wider debates of localization. While employees most certainly want to provide technical support to local partners, they do not believe that the process should undervalue the employees...

Last week, USAID unveiled its latest $5 billion global health supply contract, part of its NextGen suite of contracts. Worth $17 billion in total, it’s the largest suite of foreign aid contracts ever issued, to be delivered over the course of 10 years. But despite all the talk around localization, it’s highly likely the contracts will end up going to the usual industry players. “Most of the low- or middle-income countries, they can do without those USAID-funded contractors coming to do...

Vitala Global Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works with girls and women to develop digital solutions for stigmatized sexual and reproductive health issues, including abortions. Last week, Aya Contigo, its digital companion for abortion and contraception support that launched in Venezuela and has since expanded to the United States, was a winner of South by Southwest’s Innovation Showcase. Dr. Roopan Gill, co-founder and CEO of Vitala Global Foundation, was in Austin, Texas, to...

There’s no question that artificial intelligence will have a massive impact on the future of food systems, but it remains to be seen whether it will address or perpetuate inequities. “I think the question is, how's it going to be used in our food system in a way that actually promotes all of the objectives that we want?” said Roy Steiner, senior vice president for the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “Technology tends to be a fairly neutral tool. It multiplies whatever is...