are essential for economies to prosper and for individuals to thrive and have access to decent work. Organized by the International Labour Organization, is an opportunity for participants to lay out their visions for skills and lifelong learning and to advocate for the promotion of quality education and the pursuit of these goals through the lens of social justice. The event (April 23-24) will bring together representatives from around the world to discuss how to shape skills development as our economies and societies continue to evolve.
Economic Development
Despite record levels in 2022, the $4 billion drop in for developing countries underscores a critical gap in meeting targets, particularly affecting the world's least developed nations.
, the largest annual gathering of young people under the Ãå±±½ûµØbanner convened at the United Nations from April 16th to 18th. echoed the theme of the 2024 High-level Political Forum: "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions." The three-day event featured plenary sessions, interactive thematic and regionally based discussions, and discussions on innovative solutions for young people in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Financing challenges are at the heart of the current sustainable development crisis. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing geopolitical tensions and intensifying climate shocks, financing gaps are widening. The offers concrete recommendations to scale up investments in the SDGs and recover lost ground. The Summit of the Future in September 2024 and in June 2025 are the final opportunities to change the trajectory.
Water is crucial to life and economies, but it can also cause or be affected by conflict. The risk of conflict is increasing due to water scarcity and climate change, making effective water resource management essential for peace. Remote sensing, using open-access satellite data, can help monitor water resources, even in conflict-affected areas. The , a tool created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), has been used in conflict zones like Syria, Sudan, Mali, and Sri Lanka to monitor water resources, reduce conflict, and restore access to water.
Remittances, totaling over $830 billion globally, serve as a lifeline for countless families in developing nations, making substantial contributions to poverty alleviation. These funds have a direct and positive impact on household incomes, empowering recipients to fulfill basic necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare. By easing financial burdens and enhancing living standards, remittances play a pivotal role in lifting families out of poverty and building economic resilience within communities. The importance of remittances in developing countries is underscored by 's economist Bruno Antunes, as highlighted in the .
Regina's journey exemplifies how economic empowerment can serve as a powerful tool in reducing HIV stigma and discrimination within communities.
Amira's coffee cupping initiative in Yemen not only preserves the nation's rich coffee heritage but also empowers women to become integral players in enhancing the industry's quality, economic growth, and global recognition.
Çiğdem Kudret was raised in a household where women were discouraged from working outside the home and had never experienced financial independence. After six months of training, in 2019 she joined the production team of a women's cooperative established in the Hatay province of southern Türkiye. However, after a devastating earthquake in 2023 the cooperative suffered significant losses, leaving only 10 percent of their products salvageable. With the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () support, the founder of the cooperative, Atiye Sönmez Erdoğdu, relaunched the cooperative’s e-commerce efforts and rallied other members to resume production despite the challenges.
Women are paid less than men, do most of the unpaid household and care work, and often struggle to access finance. To address this situation, governments, institutions, and development actors must commit to transformative change. This includes introducing fairer tax systems, promoting women in leadership, addressing unpaid care work, expanding employment opportunities, and dismantling policies that hold women back. UNDP's helps institutions create equal opportunities. With the as our guide, and partners are working to unleash women's economic power. This International Women's Day, let's invest in women and accelerate progress.
Urgent action is needed to advance women's economic empowerment, as highlighted by the 2024 International Women's Day theme ''.
Productivity has been the driving force behind the five- sometimes six-day workweek, but there is a growing body of evidence that shows a shorter week is equally, if not more productive in many respects. Juliet Schor is a champion of the four-day week and led the charge in the early 90s with her book The Overworked American, which studies the pitfalls of choosing money over time. Schor is an economist and sociologist at Boston College and heads the research for global trials of companies instituting. Journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about her four-day week mission, as part of the IMF Podcast series about .
Voznesensk, a city in Mykolaiv Oblast with a population of about 40,000, was occupied by Russian invasion forces in March 2022. The town was heavily bombarded because of its strategic location, on the way to Kyiv, Odesa and other major cities. The occupation lasted only three days, but more than 700 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The United Nations Development Programme () – together with the EU and the Governments of Sweden and Denmark – opened a Recovery and Development Office in the city in early January 2023 to coordinate international aid and support local authorities, NGOs, and businesses. In June 2023, UNDP helped set up a community security and recovery working group and is building two additional police stations to serve over 5,000 residents.
Thousands of moto-taxi drivers in Togo are adopting electric motorcycles as the country aims to become a regional leader in e-mobility. The African country is among over 40 countries collaborating with to expedite the transition to low-emission transportation through the .
Alaa Abu Mudallah started the "Khotwa" training center in Gaza to address the lack of practical and technical support for students. The center thrived, with 400-500 students each month, until it was hit and demolished during the Gaza escalation of May 2021, forcing Alaa to start over. As the economic situation worsens in the fourth month of the Gaza war, Alaa has lost everything and is now relying on her savings to survive, which she finds humiliating. An earlier estimated that if the war continued for more than three months, poverty would increase by 20-45 percent and the Human Development Index would plummet, setting back progress by 11-16 years.