Raj Kumar

Just in from #GEFCouncil69: The Global Environment Facility has approved $52.3 million for UNDP's work across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America. These funds will unlock a further $292 million in co-financing and private sector engagement, to catalyze impact. See the details: ✍️ http://go.undp.org/UsK A stable climate and a resilient world depend on healthy and intact ecosystems. The Global Environment Facility and UNDP partnership has shown throughout the years that long-term investments in the environment protect communities from climate impacts and help them become more self-reliant. This is a win for developing countries who are working to meet their goals within the context of the Paris Agreement. Quoting UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support Marcos Neto: "We are honored that countries continue to choose UNDP to support their efforts to advance climate, nature, and development goals through access to environmental finance mechanisms." #ForPeopleForPlanet

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Poverty reduction must remain at the top of the agenda. Glad to share the release of the Spring 2025 edition of The World Bank Poverty and Equity Briefs (PEBs) — a key resource to understand poverty, shared prosperity, and inequality trends in 128 developing countries. Each two-page Brief provides: · Latest poverty rates at national and international poverty lines · Trends in inequality (Gini Index) ·  Multidimensional poverty insights, capturing non-monetary deprivations The PEBs offer a clear, accessible snapshot of each country’s progress, challenges, and opportunities for supporting policymakers, researchers, and partners in their efforts to #EndPoverty. Access the PDF versions by clicking on a country here: https://shorturl.at/oTivP, or explore them through the Poverty and Inequality Platform: https://lnkd.in/ePAKA77D

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At the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) underscored the urgent need to build a more coordinated, inclusive, and scalable approach to ocean finance. Speaking during the Ocean Action Panel on financing SDG14, UNCDF Executive Secretary Pradeep Kurukulasuriya highlighted between 2015 and 2019, only 1.4 percent of the estimated USD 175 billion needed annually to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 was mobilized. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—which are among the most dependent on ocean resources—receive only a fraction of a fraction of what is needed, capturing less than two percent of this global ocean finance amount despite bearing the brunt of ocean degradation. UNCDF plays a distinct role in closing this gap. With a mandate to unlock finance where it is hardest to reach, UNCDF brings catalytic capital, technical expertise, and policy alignment to underserved markets. At UNOC3, three priorities were advanced: •⁠ ⁠Demonstrating blended finance in action: Through the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, UNCDF has helped mobilize over USD 300 million in grant and investment capital to support reef-positive solutions in 21 countries. •⁠ ⁠Designing de-risking mechanisms for system-wide transformation: UNCDF is co-developing the Plastics Transition Investment Facility with IFC and UNEP, applying blended finance tools to unlock private capital for circular solutions across the plastics value chain. •⁠ ⁠Shaping the future of ocean finance: UNCDF and a coalition of UN organizations and partners have launched the co-design process for the One Ocean Finance Facility—an ambitious effort to pool contributions from ocean-dependent industries and channel them through fit-for-purpose blended finance structures that support country-led priorities and deliver equitable outcomes. The Call for Engagement for the One Ocean Finance Facility is now open. UNCDF—including UNDP, UNEP, UN Global Compact, UN DESA, UNCTAD, UNESCO-IOC, UNWTO, IUCN, and WRI—invites Member States, development partners, industry, and civil society to join this effort to build a more coherent and scalable blended finance architecture dedicated to the ocean. Peter Thomson, Susan C Gardner, Ph.D., Minna Epps, Madhushree Chatterjee, Cynthia Barzuna, Torsten Thiele, Penny Stock, Peter Bryant, Chuck Cooper, Cecile Jolly, Raphaelle Flint, Coral Pasisi, Angelique Pouponneau, Ilana Seid, Meizani Irmadhiany, Clement Lavigne, Olivier Wenden, Davies Makilla, Martin Koehring, Lovisa Bergman, David Vivas Eugui, Alison Clausen, Francine Pickup, Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma, Alfredo Giron Nava, Karen Sack, Midori Paxton, Srilata Kammila, Dorothée Herr, Gareth Padfield, Mats Boesen, Per Andreas W Larsen, Yabanex Batista, Nicole Trudeau, Olivia Rigby, Guiller Lorenzo Cenizal, Dr. Elizabeth Mcleod, Francis Staub

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Exactly 15 years ago I wrote these updates about USAID-sponsored recovery and relief efforts following the Haiti earthquake: 1. A 50-year-old Haitian woman was rescued on Sunday by a U.S rescue team in front of her husband, son, and a large crowd. She was so overjoyed that she burst into song. The crowd joined and together they began chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A!" 2. Despite having no functioning seaport and an airport with only one runway (with no control town and little room for deplaning), we have increased the number of flights four-fold to more than 90/day. These flights are carrying water, food, medical supplies, and have brought in thousands of aid workers from U.S. agencies and NGOs 3. The hospital ship USNS Comfort arrived this week carrying 1,000 hospital beds and massively increasing available medical supplies.  4. 275,000 people in hospitals and 115 IDP sites are now receiving 5 liters of water per person per day. Our goal is to reach 200 IDP sites with water supplies and communal latrines to avoid disease outbreak. This work saves lives. The Trump administration's halt-work order jeopardizes the very best of American generosity and life-saving assistance. Our humanitarian efforts should go on even while the administration takes a hard look at foreign aid priorities and effectiveness!  https://lnkd.in/eEV-_Vqw

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