Washington, July 7, 2025—Comoros is set to rehabilitate 12 kilometers of climate-resilient roads, restoring vital connectivity and strengthening disaster resilience for 13,000 people in one of the country’s most cyclone-affected regions. Additional financing of $12.5 million through a grant from the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA), will complete the critical Mtsangadjou–Foumbouni corridor, enhancing access and safety for vulnerable coastal communities.
Continue readingUnlocking Futures: How the IDA Private Sector Window Is Creating Jobs Where They Are Needed Most
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- By leveraging IFC and MIGA business platforms, the IDA PSW creates an opportunity for the strategic use of public resources to catalyze private investment, making it possible for companies and industries to operate in high-risk, fragile, and conflict-affected settings.
- A total of $5.4 billion from the IDA PSW has catalyzed over $31 billion in commercial investments in low-income and fragile countries and is expected to create 3 million jobs, provide 4 million additional loans to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and expand digital connectivity to 31 million subscribers.
- From agribusiness in Mozambique to telecom infrastructure in West Africa and clean water access in Haiti, IDA PSW-supported investments are building the ecosystems needed to sustain jobs, boost resilience, and spark inclusive economic growth.
Microfinancing Pakistan’s Women Entrepreneurs: A Chance for Jobs and a Better Life
Responsible Closeout of USAID Terminated and Expired Programs
| July 29, 2025 Dear USAID Implementing Partners (IPs), Effective September 2, 2025, USAID headquarters will take over the management and handling of all terminations for all award types to successfully implement a responsible closeout. Awards will be assigned to dedicated Acquisition and Assistance teams which will focus on completing actions related to award termination and closeout. Moving forward, IPs should submit termination settlement proposals, final cost and closeout submissions, and other related documents/correspondence to USAID via dedicated mailboxes we have established. When you are submitting your documents, make sure to include the corresponding award number. Please submit your information based on the name of your organization to the corresponding inboxes below. Partners that have a name starting with a numeral are to use the T-Z mailbox. For all IPs with names from A-C: terminationsettlements_a-c@usaid.gov For all IPs with names from D-H: terminationsettlements_d-h@usaid.gov For all IPs with names from I-M: terminationsettlements_i-m@usaid.gov For all IPs with names from N-S: terminationsettlements_n-s@usaid.gov For all IPs with names from T-Z and Numerals: terminationsettlements_t-z@usaid.gov Each inbox will be monitored by a dedicated team of OAA individuals who are responsible for responding to IPs and filing the documents appropriately for the team that takes over after September 2nd. As a reminder, IPs must still submit appeals under assistance awards of final Agreement Officer (AO) decisions to compliance@usaid.gov. USAID will continue to review and approve payments in accordance with the relevant regulations and the terms and conditions of the award. If the terminated award included an overseas (Mission) payment office, effective July 1, 2025, the payment office is now EIW@usaid.gov. If the terminated award included the payment office of ei@usaid.gov or relied on a letter of credit, there is no change to the payment office. Thank you again for your assistance and cooperation during this period of transition. We will continue to provide communications as we move forward. Please continue to email IndustryLiaison@usaid.gov for any questions you may have about this notice. USAID Industry Liaison |
Tracking SDG 7 – The Energy Progress Report 2025
Highlights
- In 2023, the number of new electricity connections outpaced population growth, increasing global access to electricity to 92%. While this means 19 million fewer people are without electricity compared to the previous year, 666 million people are still without power. In addition, this rate of growth is not fast enough to ensure universal access to electricity by 2030.
- 85% of the world’s population without electricity lives in Sub-Saharan Africa, up from 50% in 2010. In 2023, 35 million people in this region got electricity, but due to population growth, the number of people without electricity only decreased by 5 million, from 570 million in 2022 to 565 million in 2023.
- Most people without electricity live in remote areas, places facing conflict or violence, and low-income regions, making it hard to expand the electricity grid. However, new technologies and business models for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) – such as solar home systems and solar mini grids- offer flexible solutions for these areas. These solutions are expected to help over 561 million people worldwide in 2023, and they provided 55% of new electricity connections in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2020 to 2022.
Global trade has remained resilient so far, but a sharp slowdown is underway
As we cross the halfway point of 2025, mounting headwinds are slowing down global trade. A decade-long rise in trade restrictions has been supercharged by sharp tariff hikes and retaliatory measures from major economies over the past three months. Although some of these measures have since been rolled back and fresh negotiations are underway, businesses are still navigating choppy waters—including elevated policy uncertainty, stretched supply chains, and the ever-present threat of new barriers. In the face of this, we explore how these headwinds will likely reshape trade growth this year and next, identify the most critical risks ahead, and highlight the bright spots that could help steady the ship.
Continue readingWorld Bank Opens 2026 Funding Year with GBP 1.5 Billion 5-Year Benchmark
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 7, 2025 – The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, Aaa/AAA) today priced a 5-year British pound sterling (GBP) benchmark maturing in October 2030. The Sustainable Development Bond raised GBP 1.5 billion from investors globally to support the financing of the World Bank’s sustainable development activities in member countries.
Continue readingWhen we know we’re seen: How transparency nudges outcomes at the World Bank Group
Jorge Luis Borges once imagined an infinite library, a space housing every book ever written and every book that could ever be written. A man wanders through this library in search of truth, only to increasingly lose his way. Until one day, he discovers a cracked mirror behind a forgotten shelf and ultimately finds himself. He realizes that true insight emerges from self-reflection.
Continue readingThe world needs radical debt transparency
Over the past two decades, many developing countries have made remarkable progress in reducing poverty, expanding access to education and health care, and investing in infrastructure. These gains were the result of sound national policies and coordinated efforts by the international community, often financed through responsible borrowing.
Continue readingFragile and Conflict-Affected Situations: Intertwined Crises, Multiple Vulnerabilities
Economies in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) are burdened by weak institutions and are particularly vulnerable to overlapping shocks—including conflict, natural disasters, commodity price swings, and global downturns. Nearly three-quarters of FCS economies have remained classified as such for over a decade, highlighting the persistence of their challenges and underlying fragility. Limited fiscal space further constrains these economies from responding to shocks and investing in essential services such as education, health, and infrastructure.
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Netherlands for the World Bank 
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