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 take place in Washington D.C. this week. The bank has a new capital adequacy framework to get more out of its own money, a new mission statement making climate change part of its core ambition, and of course a new leader in Ajay Banga.

Listen in to hear Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger in conversation with Clemence Landers, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, Kevin Gallagher, director of the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, Stephanie von Friedeburg, managing director of banking and capital markets advisory at Citi, and Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Arkansas, who is vice chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Devex @ World Bank-IMF: Unpacking World Bank reforms: Progress and path forward

In one of her last interviews before leaving office, Samantha Power spoke with Devex for a special edition of its This Week in Global Development podcast about navigating that push-and-pull, and how she expects the Trump administration’s USAID to face similar challenges. 

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This Week in Global Dev: How Samantha Power performed a delicate balancing act as USAID chief

Migration is surging worldwide — as is the backlash to it. Perhaps nowhere is this backlash more evident at the moment than in the United States, where newly minted President Donald Trump has said he will deport all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country.

Amy Pope doesn’t think that is practical, or productive.

Pope, director-general of the International Organization for Migration, which falls under the United Nations, told Devex that such a mass deportation would have a range of repercussions, assuming it’s even feasible.

“In the United States where you’re talking over 11 million people who’ve been living and working there, frankly — and I know this because I worked at a time when more than 400,000 people were removed in a year under President Obama — the system cannot bear removing 11 million people. The logistical capacity does not exist,” she told Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar during a special episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

While the logistical capacity may not exist, the economic toll certainly does, Pope said.

“It is clear that American industry has been relying on migrants — high-skilled, low-skilled, irregular, regular — across the board. So if you start to pull out that workforce, if you do not have another workforce ready to go in, you’re going to see the impact across the board,” she said, citing industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and food processing.

Moreover, irregular migration strengthens smugglers and traffickers while weakening trust in governments.

“It undermines confidence in government. Because if the government cannot manage its border and if there’s a perception that everybody can come to the border and cross and you don’t have to wait in a line … it undermines public confidence,” she said.

Rather, governments need to set up a system where migration is legal and orderly.

“If you’ve been living in a country, if you have been holding a job, paying your taxes, not committing crimes, kids are in school, whatever … you offer people a way to regularize their status,” she said. “Let’s give them status — make sure they’re paid fairly, make sure that their entry into the workforce is being done in a regular way.”

To hear more of Pope’s thoughts — including why people migrate and what aid agencies can do in a time of ever-tightening budgets — check out the podcast.

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Davos Dispatch: IOM chief talks about the realities of migration and deportation

From refugee camps to Oxfam's helm, Danny Sriskandarajah has witnessed firsthand how real change can happen—not in boardrooms, but on streets and in communities. Drawing from his book "Power to the People," he challenges the development sector's top-down mindset by showcasing how citizen action, from anti-corruption movements to neighborhood repair cafes, creates lasting social transformation. In an era where just 3% of humanity lives in truly open societies, Sriskandarajah presents a compelling case for what he calls "the undergrowth": the vital networks of civic engagement that bypass traditional institutions to build solutions from the ground up. His message is both urgent and optimistic: in a world of climate crisis and democratic decline, our most powerful lever for change isn't waiting for permission—it's citizens reclaiming their power.

Devex Book Club: Danny Sriskandarajah

For this special episode of our weekly podcast series, we sit down with outgoing UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. He reflects on his two terms, navigating the agency through transitions and current disruptions. Steiner candidly discusses the significant impact of Trump administration program cuts, detailing how they disrupted vital partnerships and supply chains in crisis-hit countries. Hear his take on these impactful cancellations within the larger context of UNDP's work.

Steiner also addresses the concerning trend of declining development finance for much of the developing world, despite overall ODA figures. He confronts the growing skepticism around multilateral institutions and the critical need for internal reflection. Looking ahead, Steiner highlights UNDP's adaptation through new partnerships and financing, urging a global shift towards innovative funding solutions, especially for the most vulnerable nations. Tune in for this crucial discussion on the changing face of development.

This Week In Global Dev: Exclusive Interview: UNDP's Achim Steiner on the 'chronic erosion' of development

Explosive growth in the middle class, rapid urbanization, digitization and automation, the energy transition, and evolving geopolitics — these all present unique challenges for today’s businesses, said Jonathan Fantini-Porter, senior vice president of social impact in the Americas at Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

It’s against this backdrop that public and private sector leaders are grappling with questions of longevity, opportunity, and continued growth. With this in mind, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and Devex convened over 400 practitioners from the fields of tech, policy, and finance last month in Washington, D.C., for the Global Inclusive Growth Summit. The sessions and conversation centered on what it takes to create and lead economic growth, how to future-proof an organization’s mission, and the role of innovative leadership in shaping a better future.  

“The key is the shared urgency around how we future-proof inclusive growth … and the importance of cross-sector collaboration at scale,” said Fantini-Porter. “Siloed solutions just aren't enough in this context that we're living through at this point.”

Taking that conversation beyond the summit, Fantini-Porter talks to Raj Kumar, Devex’s president and editor-in-chief, in a special podcast episode about how businesses — especially small businesses in rural areas — can create resilience in their communities and support economic opportunities for all. 

This special episode of This week in Global Development was sponsored by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

Special episode: Leadership, small business, economic growth in a changing landscape

This week we reflect on the 78th World Health Assembly, which Devex covered on the ground in Geneva. From the historic agreement of the Pandemic Treaty to the World Health Organization's strategies for addressing its persistent funding gap, we analyze the key takeaways from the conference. 

We also discuss the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid delivery mechanism, which is facing internal collapse and accusations of violating humanitarian norms. The organization’s now-former executive director, Jake Wood, resigned on Sunday, just one day before the private humanitarian organization’s food aid distribution plan for Gaza launched, saying that it was “not possible” to implement the initiative “while also strictly adhering to humanitarian principles.”

This week’s episode also looks ahead to the topics we will be following at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development starting next month in Seville, Spain. 

Digging into these stories and others, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba and Global Development Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz to bring you This Week in Global Development.

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This Week in Global Dev: #98: Key takeaways from WHA78, and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s fallout

In celebration of our 100th podcast episode, we’re revisiting the most impactful global development stories from the past two years, covering the period since our very first recording.

From the evolving aid landscape to the critical discussions around localization, we explore some of the key themes in global development that we have been covering. We examine the growing burden of debt in low-income countries and the urgent need for climate finance.

During this episode, we also look back at the key takeaways from the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where Devex was a media partner. 

For this week’s edition, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene to mark this special occasion.

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This Week in Global Dev: Episode 100: What happened in global development over the past 2 years?

This week, we are at the Bonn Climate Change Conference. From climate financing to the absence of the United States, we take a look at the major talking points at the summit and contemplate whether the talks will translate into actionable policies. 

We also look at how the Trump administration’s plans to cut foreign aid funding could create unexpected domestic repercussions for American agricultural producers.

This policy shift carries severe consequences, potentially undermining the economic stability of U.S. farmers involved in aid supply chains and degrading crucial international mechanisms for disease and pest surveillance that transcend national borders.

In order to dig into these stories, and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Global Development Reporters Ayenat Mersie and Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #101: Bonn climate talk updates, and how aid cuts are affecting US farmers

As the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development wraps up, Devex reporters Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Elissa Miolene join Associate Editor Thomas Cserép for a podcast episode reflecting on what transpired this week in Sevilla — beyond the sweltering 115 degrees Celsius heat.

The big takeaway from FfD4 is the Compromiso de Sevilla, a document that participants view as both a commitment and a compromise. "Multilateralism lives" became the conference's unofficial motto as countries adapted to the United States’ absence. 

“It's more of a pickup moment after six months of global upheaval, and now moving forward and seeing what's next, and perhaps there'll be other actors that fill that gap, and maybe that might come from the global south itself,” Miolene said.

Key outcomes include establishing a borrowers' group to amplify the voices of low- and middle-income countries, and creating a global debt registry aimed at promoting transparency. While climate language was significantly watered down due to the United States’ proposed amendments prior to their withdrawal, tax reform gained momentum, with renewed calls for a U.N. convention on international tax cooperation.

However, civil society groups expressed frustration over access restrictions at the conference, while journalists faced rigorous checkpoints entering areas where negotiations were actually taking place. 

At the conference’s side events, private sector engagement was notably high, suggesting that despite falling aid budgets, there's a genuine appetite for partnerships — with the overall mood remaining cautiously optimistic about what comes next.

This Week in Global Dev: #103: Did Sevilla save multilateralism — or just survive the heat?

With the U.S. Agency for International Development officially dismantled and its remnants folded into the State Department, the landscape of global aid is at a turning point. We delve into expert perspectives on what the future of foreign assistance might entail, exploring proposed transformations from widening the donor base beyond traditional Western nations to building new institutions and streamlining existing ones, such as the United Nations. This reimagining of aid aims to create a more effective and equitable system for a world grappling with evolving challenges and shifting geopolitical dynamics.

With France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States all cutting their aid budgets at the same time for the first time in decades, many low- and middle-income countries are facing steep declines in support. While African leaders have called the cuts “brutal,” they have also maintained that the slashing of foreign aid may act as the wake-up call needed to break their dependency on traditional donors. 

We also analyze President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" and its potential implications for the global development sector.

To dig into these stories and others, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and global development expert Nasra Ismail for the latest episode of This Week in Global Development. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #104: Foreign aid at a crossroads: What's next for global development?

After an all-night marathon of amendments, the U.S. Senate voted to advance President Donald Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package this week. While the country’s flagship HIV/AIDS initiative PEPFAR was saved during the process, the package will still claw back nearly $8 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid. 

To dig into this story, and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with reporters Michael Igoe and Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #105: US aid slashed: Inside the $8 billion cut to foreign assistance

This week, our conversation features Shari Spiegel, chief of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. She joins host Adva Saldinger and Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch to reflect on the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, as well as dig into the legacy she hopes the summit will have. 

With the changing geopolitical landscape, we also discuss the role played by multilateral development banks and the private sector in achieving global development goals. 

This week we reported that the U.S. is clawing back more than $1 billion in funding to the United Nations. We take a look at how it will affect the organization’s initiatives, including peacekeeping operations and human rights promotion.

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This Week in Global Dev: #106: The next steps after FfD4, and how UN programs are affected by aid cuts

This week, we're taking a deep dive into the Trump administration's vision for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. The White House’s proposal seeks to expand the number of countries DFC can work in, paving the way for it to invest in high-income countries — a shift from its initial remit to invest in lower-income countries. However, the U.S. Congress still needs to reauthorize the organization before the Oct. 6 deadline if any of these plans are to come to fruition.

On the other hand, the Millennium Challenge Corporation is set to face a different future. While the organization survived the Trump administration’s foreign assistance review, more than half of its programs are slated for cancellation.

To discuss these stories, and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #107: A look at the Trump administration's plan for DFC

With the U.S. Agency for International Development officially ceasing operations as the main U.S. foreign aid agency on July 1, the State Department now faces the daunting task of spending an estimated $20 billion before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 — without the 10,000 staff members who previously managed such distributions. The administration is legally required to spend money appropriated by Congress, or find legal justification for not spending it, as seen in earlier rescission efforts that returned $9 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

Meanwhile, USAID Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources Ken Jackson's recent tour of nine countries — including Belgium, Kenya, and the Philippines — to oversee mission closures, has drawn criticism from displaced staff who view the visits as poorly timed during their difficult transitions.

With many NGOs forced to restructure or face closure, some organizations are exploring mergers and partnerships to survive, with a new initiative led by Accountability Lab helping them pivot.

Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth discusses the latest developments in these stories with reporters Michael Igoe and Elissa Miolene.

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This Week in Global Dev: #108: State Department faces $20B spending deadline

This week takes a look at an internal email seen by Devex, which outlines the U.S. Department of State’s priorities for the United Nations General Assembly. In addition to not mentioning the world “development,” the Trump administration is calling for a “fundamental rethink” of the international humanitarian system, and a decreased reliance on the country that was once the world’s largest donor.

We also discuss the dire humanitarian situation of refugees in Malawi, who are facing slashed food rations and shrinking health and protection services due to U.S. aid cuts. This crisis, particularly severe in the overcrowded Dzaleka refugee camp, is pushing a vulnerable population to the brink. With food assistance drastically reduced, many are resorting to desperate survival tactics, including sex work and child labor, to feed their families.

To dig into these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie for the latest episode of our podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #109: Trump’s plan for UNGA, and the impact of aid cuts on refugees in Malawi

This week, we take a look at the details of the latest United Nations reform, the UN80 Initiative, which is designed to make the organization more efficient. Unofficially, it’s also a move to convince the Trump administration not to cut U.N. funding even further. However, the initiative is unlikely to satisfy anyone. 

Meanwhile, China, the U.N.’s largest financial contributor, is pushing for a greater role at the organization, painting the U.S. as a threat to multilateralism. The country has been stepping up demands for more jobs at the institution for Chinese nationals.

We also discuss how emerging donors are reshaping the aid landscape, blending commercial aims with development goals in ways that look different from traditional partners. As Western aid recedes, their rise brings new resources, priorities, and trade-offs.

To analyze these stories, and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Business Editor David Ainsworth and Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

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This Week in Global Dev: #110: A look at UN80, and how emerging donors are reshaping the aid landscape

For decades, Africa's malaria strategy has focused almost exclusively on disease control through indoor mosquito management and personal protection — bed nets, indoor spraying, and individual-level interventions. But this approach alone isn’t working. Progress against malaria in the African region has slowed significantly, with cases declining by just 5% since 2015 and mortality by 16%, according to the World Health Organization.

Experts now argue it’s time to shift from disease-centric, indoor mosquito management to more robust integrated mosquito management strategies. That means taking a tiered approach, starting with reducing mosquito breeding sites, treating water sources with larvicides, and then targeting adult mosquitoes. “The tendency will probably be to think about controlling mosquitoes when they are flying only. But they are actually more vulnerable when they are not flying, usually when they are in the water,” explained Silas Majambere, a medical entomologist and business manager of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East at Valent BioSciences. 

This approach, known as larval source management, has proven both cost-effective and sustainable. “The conversation is shifting away from just talking about a disease and saying, ‘How do we take those limited public health dollars and manage the mosquito so that we can manage multiple diseases for those dollars?’” said Jason Clark, managing director for global public health and forest health at Valent BioSciences.

Some countries are already moving in this direction. In Benin, the government is framing mosquito control not just as a health issue but as an economic one. 
The government is focusing on tourism as one of the key pillars of growth for the country, and the presence of mosquito-borne diseases is a direct threat to that, explained Sinde Chekete, adviser to the president of Benin. “We believe that investing in mosquito control will ultimately bring resources, will bring revenue, because we'll be able to welcome more tourists … and reduce the overall cost of malaria,” he said.

Chekete, Majambere, and Clark joined Devex Executive Editor Kate Warren to discuss the shift toward integrated mosquito management in a special Devex podcast episode sponsored by Valent BioSciences.

Special episode: Beyond malaria: Africa’s shift to integrated mosquito management

This week, Akinwumi Adesina stepped down as the chief of the African Development Bank after a 10-year tenure. He was replaced by Sidi Ould Tah at the helm of the institution, who is promising reform, new partnerships, and a focus on jobs — even as the bank confronts tight budgets and a looming African Development Fund replenishment.

In the United States, the Trump administration proposed another $5 billion cut to foreign aid spending through a move known as a “pocket rescission.” This proposal builds on the cancellation of roughly $8 billion in foreign aid funding in July. We take a look at the controversial maneuver, which has not been used since 1977.

To dig into these stories, and others, David Ainsworth sits down with Michael Igoe and Ayenat Mersie for the latest episode of our podcast series.

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This Week in Global Dev: #111: A new era at AfDB, and Trump’s rescission package

The negotiation and approval of the U.S. budget is a complex process, filled with political bargaining and high-stakes showdowns that can have a profound impact far beyond Washington. This process directly shapes funding for foreign aid, global health, and humanitarian crises around the world.

With the Trump administration proposing a “pocket rescission” package that would cut an additional $5 billion from foreign assistance, its approval would have a significant impact on the global development sector.

To gain insight into the complexities of the U.S. budget and its implications for the development sector, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Reporters Adva Saldinger and Michael Igoe for this special episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: Special episode: The US budget deadlock explained

This week, we were at the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, closely following the stories that matter most to the global development community. From forging a unified voice ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference to how carbon markets could transform climate action on the continent, we discuss the key takeaways from the conference.

In the United States, we continue to follow a key lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's foreign aid spending — or lack thereof. The case, which is a test of the executive branch's power over government spending, is now headed to the Supreme Court. The administration asked the highest court to intervene after a lower court compelled it to spend foreign assistance funds that Congress had already appropriated. We take a look at where the case stands and what might happen next. 

To dig into these stories and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #112: The Africa Climate Summit, and a new legal test for the Trump administration

This week, we take a look at the key talking points ahead of the high-level meetings of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. From the Trump administration’s cutting of funding to international organizations to China’s desire to increase its influence at the U.N., we discuss the conversations that we will be following that are most relevant to the global development community.

During the discussion, we also explored some of the conversations that may not get the attention they deserve, including reforming the global debt architecture and securing the future of humanitarian funding. 

To look ahead to UNGA 80, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch and Allison Lombardo, former deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

Together, they break down the diplomatic challenges and highlight negotiations that will shape this year’s discussions.

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This Week in Global Dev: #113: A look ahead to the high-level meetings of 80th United Nations General Assembly

This week, the Devex team is on the ground at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. On the sidelines of the high-level talks, we are hosting a series of events with some of the most influential voices in global development at our dedicated venue, Devex Impact House. 

From the future of foreign assistance to the latest plan to reform the U.N., we discuss the forces shaping the sector and defining a new era of global development. This comes amid President Donald Trump's plans to reshape the international system, with a clear focus on reducing foreign aid and challenging long-standing international norms.

With the U.S. appearing to retreat from the U.N., we explore who the contenders are to fill the gap left by the world’s largest economy. 

To explore the key conversations we are following at UNGA, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch, as well as Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar, for this special episode of our weekly podcast series.

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Live from UNGA80: What's at stake for global development

This week we are on the ground in New York to cover the 80th United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week. 

Our discussion breaks down President Donald Trump’s address at the summit, where he called climate change a hoax, denounced Europe’s energy policies, and focused on the urgent need to address uncontrolled migration.

The global drive for emissions reduction is moving forward despite the Trump administration's stance on climate action, with high emitters, including China, submitting their Nationally Determined Contributions, or their climate action plans to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To dig into these stories and catch up on what’s happening at UNGA80, senior editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with senior global reporter Colum Lynch and global development reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

Note on episode: David Lammy’s current title is deputy prime minister, not prime minister as mentioned in the episode.

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This Week in Global Dev: #114: UNGA80: Trump, climate, and the biggest headlines from the summit

This week, we discuss the details of the “Accra Reset,” an effort to declare an end to the era of development-as-usual and to push for the creation of new governance, business, and financing models. With traditional donors cutting foreign assistance, African nations and others are using the initiative to jointly invest, design, and create solutions with external partners.

With official development assistance plummeting, governments are under pressure to make up their global health funding shortfall through taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary beverages.  However, these levies may not be a financial panacea.

During the conversation, we also look back at how U.S. objections stalled the long-negotiated United Nations declaration on noncommunicable diseases, sending it to a full General Assembly vote this month, and look ahead to the World Health Summit.

To dig into these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Senior Reporter Sara Jerving and contributing reporter Andrew Green for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #115: Could taxes fix the global health funding crisis?

This week on the podcast, we unpack what to watch during the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings in Washington, D.C. — from shifting global growth forecasts to reforms across multilateral development banks. As the fall meetings kick off, leaders in development finance are looking closely at how the World Bank is reshaping itself to mobilize more private capital and move faster on project approvals.

Amid ongoing reforms, attention is turning to how new tools such as securitizations and guarantee instruments can attract institutional investors while balancing the needs of borrowing countries. The conversation also explores the ways investors are seeking to value ecosystems alongside traditional climate assets, and how differences between U.S. and European markets are shaping approaches to ESG, or environmental, social, and governance, and climate investment.

To discuss these developments, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Elissa Miolene and J.P. Morgan’s Faheen Allibhoy for the latest episode of This Week in Global Development.

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This Week in Global Dev: #116: A look ahead to the World Bank and IMF meetings

Special episode: A conversation with the Mines Advisory Group

This week, we are on the ground at the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual meetings, closely following the conversations that will shape the global development sector.

As we note a reduced focus on climate change policy compared to previous years, we are tracking how the conversation is pivoting, with climate issues now being approached through an energy security angle.

In addition to examining the World Bank’s ongoing focus on global job creation, we highlight our exclusive on-the-sidelines interview at Devex Impact House with U.S. Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Arkansas, who shared insights on the Trump administration’s “America First” approach to foreign assistance, providing a Republican perspective on U.S. engagement in global development.

In order to discuss the key talking points at the annual meetings, Devex’s Adva Saldinger sits down with Michael Igoe and Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our podcast series, recorded live at Devex Impact House on the sidelines of the main summit.

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This Week in Global Dev: #117: Live from the World Bank annual meetings: The debates dominating Washington

This week, we explore the ins and outs of UN80, the United Nations' reform plan to cut costs and boost efficiency. We outline what this initiative, drafted as a result of funding cuts to the institution, involves in practice.

On the topic of foreign aid cuts, we have also been following the calls for philanthropy to fill the void left by traditional donors, most notably the United States. We discuss that while some foundations, such as the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, are halting U.S. funding over policy uncertainty, we are also witnessing lifesaving programs continuing to operate thanks to philanthropy organizations stepping up their funding.

In order to dig into these stories, and others, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch and Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #118: The impact of aid cuts: UN reform and the role of philanthropy

Special episode: Pivotal Ventures on Funding the Future of Women’s Health

This week, we reported that U.S.-based international nonprofits are looking into registering sister organizations overseas as they face an increasingly unpredictable political environment at home. Law firms in Canada and the United Kingdom confirm this trend, telling Devex they’ve seen increased interest from U.S. entities seeking to set up international arms amid growing domestic instability.

With authoritarian practices on the rise and civic spaces closing, we reflect on the key takeaways from the Trust Conference in London, where the international community gathered to learn from each other’s lessons when it comes to fighting autocracy.

We also look ahead to the Second World Summit for Social Development 2025 and examine what its core themes and expected outcomes mean for the global development agenda.

To explore these stories, and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. 

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This Week in Global Dev: #119: The potential exodus of NGOs from the US, and the rise of authoritarianism

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