Shows / This Week in Global Development
This Week in Global Development
Dive into the week's most critical global development news with the This Week in Global Development podcast.
In each episode, hosts Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, and Rumbi Chakamba break down major headlines and invite members of the Devex newsroom to share their expert analysis.
Get up-to-date on news regarding foreign aid, humanitarian crises, the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, finance, philanthropy, climate, food systems, global health, and stay informed on the latest trends and…
Episodes
- This Week in Global Development
What can we expect from the World Bank Spring Meetings?
This week we published a story in which we spoke with 14 former and current World Central Kitchen staff members and contractors to find out what lay behind the…
- This Week in Global Development
Special episode: 5 billion people lack access to surgery. Here’s what needs to change
Around 5 billion people — about two-thirds of the world’s population — globally lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. Despite carrying 25% of the…
- This Week in Global Development
Confusion deepens over USAID cuts as data errors and reversals pile up
Confusion surrounding U.S. foreign assistance deepened this week as USAID reversed several program terminations—including life-saving food aid—just days after…
- This Week in Global Development
Trump's USAID abolition plan: What does it mean for global development?
The Trump administration formally informed Congress of its proposal to abolish USAID, merging key aspects of its operations into the State Department. This…
- This Week in Global Development
Which programs were hit hardest by the Trump administration’s aid cuts?
This week, the Trump administration released a detailed inventory of 5,341 discontinued USAID programs, alongside the 898 projects that are still active. We…
- This Week in Global Development
Special episode: How research helps tackle climate-driven violence against women workers
In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, Devex dives deeper into how climate change is driving increased gender-based violence and…
- This Week in Global Development
Unpacking proposals to overhaul US foreign aid
This week we dig into the different proposals on how the Trump administration could reform foreign assistance. According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco…
- This Week in Global Development
What does the latest federal ruling mean for US foreign assistance?
This week a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay USAID partners for billions of dollars in foreign aid work completed before Feb. 13. The…
- This Week in Global Development
The battle for USAID's future, and shock cuts to UK foreign assistance
This week the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to not pay billions of dollars in foreign aid to USAID and State Department…
- This Week in Global Development
The latest on the dismantling of USAID
This week we closely followed the latest developments on the U.S. government’s attempt at dismantling USAID. We learned that the Trump administration has…
- This Week in Global Development
In legal limbo: Inside the lawsuits against Trump's aid freeze
This week we were closely following the lawsuits filed against the Trump administration for freezing U.S. foreign assistance. One of the lawsuits targets Elon…
- This Week in Global Development
Fighting back: Can lawsuits save US foreign aid?
This week we were closely tracking the legal battles surrounding USAID's closure, with lawsuits filed by both former contractors and NGO partners as the…
- This Week in Global Development
US foreign aid goes dark: USAID’s final hours
This week our entire newsroom has been on the story of how the Trump administration has dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development. The…
This Week in Global DevelopmentDavos Dispatch: Finland’s development minister on the impact of far-right parties on aid
Ville Tavio, Finland’s minister for foreign trade and development and a member of the right-wing Finns Party, which he described as "somewhat like a Finland…
- This Week in Global Development
The fallout from the US foreign aid freeze
Widespread confusion and uncertainty continue to ripple through the development sector following the U.S. government’s stop-work order on foreign aid programs…
- This Week in Global Development
Davos Dispatch: Gavi CEO outlines 'leap Into 6.0' strategy, putting countries first
Sania Nishtar, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, sees the organization’s new five-year strategy, dubbed “Gavi 6.0,” as an opportunity for a reset. She…
- This Week in Global Development
Special episode: Creating a more inclusive world for people with intellectual disabilities
Special Olympics' Chief of Global Youth & Education, Jackie Jodl, joins Raj Kumar for a podcast episode looking at how sports and education can drive societal…
- This Week in Global Development
What does Trump's first week in office mean for global development?
In his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented several executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign assistance…
This Week in Global DevelopmentDavos Dispatch: ‘People may die’ if US cuts foreign aid, says UNAIDS chief
On a special special episode of This Week in Global Development, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, warned of major consequences for people with…
- This Week in Global Development
Davos Dispatch: IOM chief talks about the realities of migration and deportation
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…
- This Week in Global Development
What are the key global development trends to watch in 2025?
As we kickstart 2025, we speak to Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar about the trends he believes will shape global development this coming year. We…
- This Week in Global Development
How Samantha Power performed a delicate balancing act as USAID chief
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…
- This Week in Global Development
What will the Trump presidency mean for the United Nations?
As the world gets ready for a second Trump presidency, significant uncertainty surrounds the United Nations as the organization prepares to implement…
- This Week in Global Development
Jimmy Carter’s legacy on global health
This week’s podcast kicks off with a look at the legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday. Following his…
- This Week in Global Development
What were trends that shaped global development in 2024?
This week we delve into the key trends that have shaped the global development landscape. From the impact of declining aid budgets in high-income countries to…
- This Week in Global Development
A new World Bank initiative, and an infrastructure project in Africa
This week, we take a look at the Civil Society and Social Innovation Alliance, known as CIVIC, a new, forthcoming World Bank Group initiative designed to…
- This Week in Global Development
What do Trump's cabinet picks mean for U.S. foreign aid?
As key appointments in the Trump administration come into focus, what will they mean for U.S. foreign aid? With high-profile picks such as Robert F. Kennedy…
This Week in Global DevelopmentDid COP29 deliver?
This week we reflect on the United Nations COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, which wrapped up over the weekend. We take a closer look at the…
- This Week in Global Development
The latest from COP29, and key takeaways from the G20 summit
As COP29 comes to a close, we take a look at what negotiators are still racing to resolve in the final hours of the ambitious two-week conference. From…
- This Week in Global Development
What role can the private sector play at the ‘finance COP’?
For this special episode of our weekly podcast series, Devex EVP and Executive Editor Kate Warren sits down with leaders from Bayer and Mars who discuss the…
- This Week in Global Development
Leaders push for climate adaptation funding in the face of escalating risks
For this special episode of our weekly podcast series recorded at COP29, Devex climate reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz sits down with Kulthoum Omari-Motsumi from…
- This Week in Global Development
How agricultural innovation and science can help tackle climate change
Agriculture is both a driver of climate change, with around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from direct on farm emissions, and a potential game…
- This Week in Global Development
Paving the way: How Africa50 is driving infrastructure development forward
While the African continent has seen significant economic growth in recent years, it continues to grapple with critical infrastructure challenges that hamper…
- This Week in Global Development
What are we watching at COP29?
As the COP 29 U.N. climate conference kicks off in Baku, Azerbaijan, we look ahead to the potential implications of the discussions on the global development…
- This Week in Global Development
What does Trump’s election mean for global development?
This week, former President Donald Trump was elected for a second term at the White House. His reelection marks a radical shift in U.S. foreign policy…
- This Week in Global Development
Reflections on Devex World, from politics to sales pitches
This week we discuss the key takeaways from Devex World 2024, our flagship event that took place in Washington, D.C., alongside the World Bank-International…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ World Bank-IMF: How multilateral development banks can better address climate change
With the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual meetings wrapped up, all eyes are now turning to the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference…
- This Week in Global Development
Live from Devex World: Scaling up climate finance
On Thursday, Devex hosted its biannual Devex World summit in Washington, D.C. Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar was on hand to interview global…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ World Bank-IMF: The World Bank's new gender strategy
The World Bank Group released its new Gender Strategy earlier this year with three key aims: ending gender-based violence, expanding economic opportunities…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ World Bank-IMF: Reforming the international financial system and the IDA replenishment
This is the first of a series of three special episodes of This Week in Global Development tied to the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual meetings…
- This Week in Global Development
A look ahead to the World Bank annual meetings
As we look ahead to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund annual meetings, we discuss what to expect from the summit, including whether the…
- This Week in Global Development
Sudan's forgotten crisis, and how EU foreign aid helps big business
This week we published an exclusive interview with Nicholas Kristof, an award-winning New York Times columnist. He spoke about what he saw in Sudan and the…
- This Week in Global Development
A look at the foreign aid cuts across Europe
Last week, we published an exclusive article on the European Union’s plan to cut its development spending by €2 billion (around $2.2 billion) over the next…
This Week in Global DevelopmentDevex @ UNGA 79: MDBs want to cooperate more closely. What progress have they made?
In April, a group of multilateral development banks signed an agreement to work more closely together, known as a viewpoint note, which set a series of goals…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ UNGA 79: Why ‘boots on the ground’ are key to food aid, according to José Andrés
In a special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast recorded on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, chef and…
- This Week in Global Development
What's happened so far at the 79th United Nations General Assembly?
This week Devex is in New York covering the 79th United Nations General Assembly as well as the Summit of the Future. In addition to hosting our very own…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ UNGA 79: What it would take to move the needle on locally led development
It’s no secret that promises to deliver more humanitarian and development funding to local and national organizations have not been fulfilled. During the…
- This Week in Global Development
Devex @ UNGA 79: How a quantum leap is needed to bring energy to 300 million Africans
Among the major development initiatives under discussion at the United Nations this week in New York is an ambitious goal set out by the World Bank and the…
- This Week in Global Development
What can we expect from UNGA 79 and the Summit of the Future?
As world leaders get ready to meet in New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, we explore what we can expect from the event and whether big ideas…
- This Week in Global Development
Aid cuts across Europe, and China’s big investment pledge in Africa
After severe cuts to its 2024 budgets for development and humanitarian aid, we found that the German government is planning to slash funds again in 2025. A…
- This Week in Global Development
A look at MCC, and burnout in global development
As the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation marks its 20th anniversary, we discuss our latest article on the agency. While MCC has invested $17 billion in 47…
- This Week in Global Development
The uneven localization landscape, and an investigation at USAID
This week we take an in-depth look at USAID’s localization report. While in certain countries the agency has already significantly surpassed its localization…
- This Week in Global Development
What's happening at the DNC, and women's leadership in development
This week we are at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. We delve into what we are hearing on the sidelines of the event, particularly how U.S. vice…
This Week in Global DevelopmentSpecial episode: Putting the 'human' back in humanitarianism
In a world of growing humanitarian needs, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is shining a light on those who risk their own lives to save others. Founded in…
- This Week in Global Development
Public health emergency in Africa, and staffing crises at NGOs
This week the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization both declared mpox as a public health emergency. This is the…
- This Week in Global Development
Kamala Harris’ approach to foreign policy, and challenges to localization
After U.S. President Joe Biden opted not to run for reelection, his vice president, Kamala Harris, seems poised to become the official nominee of the…
- This Week in Global Development
The role of INGOs in localization, and the future of PEPFAR
As localization continues to be a hot topic in global development, nearly every international nongovernmental organization seems to be rethinking their role in…
- This Week in Global Development
Humanitarian cowboys, untied aid, and the future of Dutch aid
Is the era of the “humanitarian cowboy” over? This week, Devex contributor Lauren Evans wrote a piece analyzing what’s become of this common aid worker…
- This Week in Global Development
Trump’s approach to foreign aid and the UK's new development minister
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has proposed drastic cuts to foreign aid and United Nations funding in a 2025 budget bill that it passed last…
- This Week in Global Development
What do the elections across Europe mean for global development?
This week British voters head to the polls to elect the country’s new prime minister, with the Labour Party set to end 14 years of Conservative rule. While…