Transforming Education Summit, the school saves lives and UNHCR and UNICEF establish dozens of support hubs for Ukrainian refugees. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
Transforming Education Summit: Halt the crisis, or risk failing an entire generation
UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, warned that globally, only a third of 10-year-olds are estimated to be able to read and understand a simply written story. This shocking statistic represents a 50 percent decrease from pre-pandemic estimates.
“Under-resourced schools, underpaid and under-qualified teachers, over-crowded classrooms, and archaic curricula are undermining our children’s ability to reach their full potential,” said Catherine Russell UNICEF Executive Director, in a press release.
School saves lives: World leaders back a courageous goal, “Education Plus”, to prevent new HIV infections through education and empowerment
At the Transforming Education Summit in New York it was announced that 12 African countries have committed to Education Plus, a bold initiative to prevent HIV infections through free universal, quality secondary education for all girls and boys in Africa, reinforced through comprehensive empowerment programs.
Speaking on the Leaders Day of the Summit on behalf of the Education Plus movement, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima said, “School saves lives. We are coming together to champion the right for a girl to be in a classroom and in a safe classroom. Keeping girls in school helps ensure their rights and prevents HIV. We know that if a girl completes secondary education, the risk of infection reduces by 50%. That’s why we’ve teamed up with UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women, with governments and with civil society, to champion the education and empowerment of adolescent girls in Africa to stop new HIV infections.”
Through Education Plus, champion countries across Africa are bringing sectors together to fight inequalities by ensuring access to and completion of secondary school, protecting girls and young women from HIV infection, sexual violence, teenage pregnancies, and early marriages, and creating opportunities for access to education, health, and jobs.
UNHCR, UNICEF establish dozens of support hubs in countries hosting Ukrainian refugees
Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, some 234,000 refugees from Ukraine were able to use protection and support services provided by 36 Blue Dot Hubs established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, across seven countries.
The “Blue Dot Hubs” are one-stop safe spaces equipped to provide information, counseling, mental health and psychosocial support, legal aid, and protection services for refugees. The Blue Dot Hubs aim to assist all refugees, with a specific focus on children, people with disabilities or medical needs, older people, people who might have been trafficked, survivors of violence, and refugees from the LGBTQI+ community.
Those with specific needs or who are particularly vulnerable can be identified and referred to specialized services. Critically, the Blue Dots also serve to identify and support unaccompanied and separated children traveling alone, as well as provide for informal education and early childhood care for children on the move.
“The international armed conflict in Ukraine has created a protection crisis for women, children, and those most vulnerable, who account for the vast majority of those fleeing from Ukraine,” said Pascale Moreau, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Ukraine Situation. “Blue Dot Hubs, aimed at supporting community centers and efforts at the municipal level, play a key role in identifying and providing support to women, children, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable people, who we know face greater risks of gender-based violence, trafficking, abuse, psychological distress, and family separation.”
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Top 10 countries with most jobs in international development in 2022
Being the biggest job board within the international aid sector with over 9,000 options to choose from daily, DevelopmentAid is the go-to resource for many experts looking for new projects and opportunities throughout the world.
In October 2022 we conducted exclusive research within our database to showcase the countries where the most opportunities can be found.
In this article, you will be able to analyze the states and regions that required the most people in international development. Obviously, the more opportunities there are in a country, the greater the odds of getting a job there.
Read the full article.
How to stand out from the competition with DevelopmentAid’s career leverage tools
Who doesn’t want to get more done in less time? This also applies when you’re looking for new assignments. Spending hours every day working on cover letters and resumes and applying to open positions that you think would be the perfect fit for you is not necessarily a bad approach but obviously, there are tools that can help job seekers to optimize their searches infinitely better to find that ideal opportunity. In this respect, the DevelopmentAid platform is an incredibly valuable asset to anyone searching for a job, and therefore becoming a Professional Plus member is crucial if you want to stand out from the competition. Read on to find out why.
DevelopmentAid.org is currently the biggest job board in the global aid sector. It provides access to 7,500+ jobs, details the profiles of companies and their references, outlines donors’ procurement guidelines as well as featuring open tenders for individuals and organizations’ shortlists.
What is development aid and why is it important?
Development aid, sometimes known as Official Development Assistance (ODA), is a form of foreign/international assistance that aims to help improve the living standards in the poorest regions of the world.
ODA is used to fund projects that improve social, economic, political, and ecological sectors (access to clean water, healthcare, education, and so on) in certain regions. It can concentrate on minor local initiatives or large national-level policies.
Many people associate international aid with the image of a volunteer offering medical care or distributing goods in the wake of a storm or disaster. While emergency assistance is essential, it is not the sole type of assistance, nor is it considered as a ‘development’ aid because it has different goals.
Here’s what else has happened
ILO: The International Labour Organization (ILO) has increased its assistance to Ukraine. The US$760,000 contribution will serve the emergency assistance provided through employers’ organizations and trade unions.
From data to drops: A whopping 85 percent of the increase in global cropland over the last decade was irrigated land, highlighting the importance of greater agricultural yields to feed the world and also the urgency of efficient use of water, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said to a ministerial-level event, “Act on Water to Feed the World: Sustainable Water Allocation to Create a Food Secure World for all”, organized by the Netherlands and Tajikistan, on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly.
Canada: The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed health systems, and lockdowns have disrupted health services worldwide. This has had a devastating impact on efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. TB and malaria deaths have increased and progress on reducing HIV-related deaths has stalled. The world needs to redouble the efforts in fighting for all those that have not reached, in particular vulnerable women and girls, it is to stay on course to achieve the goal of eliminating these diseases as epidemics by 2030.
Global Fund: The United States of America-hosted pledging conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria raised more than US$14.25 billion so far for the partnership’s work over the next three years. The conference in the margins of the UN General Assembly brought together more than 45 countries (including 18 Heads of State and Government), multilateral partners, private sector companies, civil society, and community organizations.
Time is running out: Conflict. Natural disasters. Basic food shortages. Mass unemployment. The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is like no other. The cumulative impact of 4 decades of conflict, exacerbated by a perfect storm of drought, economic collapse, rocketing food prices, a devastating earthquake, and flooding has left millions of people facing a harrowing future.
Reports
Refugees from Ukraine eager to work but need sustained support to ensure inclusion
Seven months after the onset of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, refugees remain grateful for the warm reception that they have received across Europe, and most plan to stay put. The majority are highly educated and willing to work and contribute to their host countries, but they need sustained support to help ensure socio-economic inclusion, according to a survey released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
New UN policy paper shows the devastating impacts of the Ukraine war on women and girls
A new UN policy paper, published as the UN Security Council meets on Ukraine, reveals how the war and its global impacts on food, energy, and finance are affecting women and girls disproportionately, both inside Ukraine and globally. From the school-aged girls who are at risk of being obliged to drop out to get married for dowry or bride-price income for desperate families, to the physical and health challenges of the 265,000 Ukrainian women who were pregnant when the war broke out, the “Global gendered impacts of the Ukraine crisis on energy access and food security and nutrition” policy paper lays out how the crisis is aggravating already existing inequalities around the world.
Renewable energy jobs hit 12.7 million globally
Worldwide renewable energy employment reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in one year despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the growing energy crisis, according to a new report.
Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2022 identifies market dynamics as major factors influencing employment generation in renewables, along with labor and other costs. Solar energy was found to be the fastest-growing sector. In 2021 it provided 4.3 million jobs, more than a third of the current global renewable workforce.
Events
Development2030 | Beyond Aid
📅 16-17 November 2022
Brussels Expo
With an ever-increasing pressure to ensure the global public and governments worldwide continue to support overseas development assistance, it is imperative for the international community to adapt to the changing landscape if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Development2030 event will consider how best we can do this, through identifying the key existing and emerging players, and analysing their role in creating long-term impact for low- and middle income countries. It is THE place for the overseas development community to build meaningful relationships, get inspired and meet like-minded individuals committed to achieving the 2030 goals.
Get Shortlisted for the Donor Funded Projects. Tips from Top Recruiters | Invitation to a Webinar
📅 29 September 2022
For experts who wish to work in the field of international development on donor-funded projects, the first and most important step is when a recruiter evaluates their CV. What are the most important elements of a successful CV (resume)? How can an expert ensure that their CV stands out in a competitive field? Can experts with little experience get shortlisted for big projects? And is it essential to tailor one’s CV for every project or donor?
All these questions and more will be answered during a webinar held by DevelopmentAid jointly with Anastasia Bahu, currently a Recruitment Advisor at Agriconsulting Europe. With years of experience matching experts to donor-funded jobs, Ms. Bahu will explain exactly how to write, format, and target your CV in order to get shortlisted for projects.
Whether you’re just starting out as an expert in the field of international development or are an experienced professional looking to expand your opportunities, our webinar will take you through all the do’s and don’ts for how to get noticed by recruiters and have your CV successfully shine a light on your skills and qualifications.
DevelopmentAid cordially invites you to attend the webinar “Get Shortlisted for the Donor Funded Projects. Tips from Top Recruiters” which will take place online on September 29, 2022, at 1600 CEST (Brussels time zone) or 10:00 AM Eastern (Washington, D.C. time zone).
At the conclusion of the webinar, all logged-in participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
Key takeaways
- How recruiters evaluate CVs for donor-funded projects
- Learn about the six most commonly used CV templates
- Should you tailor your CV for each project/donor?
- Everything you need to know about Working Certificates
- How to get your CV to stand out in a competitive field
- Learn how experts with little or no experience can get hired for projects
- The most important elements to NOT include in your CV
- Learn what the hiring process looks like from a recruiter’s perspective
Doing Business with JICA: Procurement Framework and Best Practices | Invitation to a Webinar
📅 6 October 2022
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is a bilateral aid agency responsible for administering the country’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and supporting the implementation of the national government’s strategy for underdeveloped nations. It operates in more than 150 countries and regions across the world. As of 2021, the agency has allocated more than US$ 12.8 billion for ODA purposes.
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with JICA, invites suppliers, contractors, and consultants interested in discovering business collaboration opportunities with the agency to join the webinar “Doing Business with JICA: Procurement Framework and Best Practices”. During the webinar, our guest speakers will introduce JICA, its ODA loan policy, procurement guidelines, eligibility rules, and bidding procedures.
Founded in August 1974, JICA’s vision for sustainable development involves ‘taking the lead in forging bonds of trust across the world, aspiring for a free, peaceful and prosperous world where people can hope for a better future and explore their diverse potentials’.
As one of the world’s largest bilateral ODA organizations, JICA operates across multiple sectors across public, private, and environmental dimensions. JICA’s aid policy is governed by an unbiased, broad perspective that extends beyond the traditional assistance schemes, including technical cooperation, grants, and finance and investment cooperation.
Key takeaways
- Get to know JICA and its ODA Loan Operation;
- Learn more about Procurement under JICA’s ODA Loan policy;
- Discover the specific particularities of Procurement Guidelines and Standard Bidding Documents;
- Learn about the eligibility criteria to participate in projects funded by JICA.
