Investing in the future of communities that are most likely to migrate to other countries is more effective than spending money on reinforcing border security according to Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Ms. Pope was speaking on the sidelines of the UN’s Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development Sevilla, Spain. The Conference was a crucial opportunity to push for financial reforms and boost investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 global goals adopted by all UN Member States to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure healthy lives for all by 2030, including Goal 10.7 on the orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people.

UN News’ Matt Wells spoke to Ms. Pope and began by asking her how sustainable development is linked to migration issues. 

With over 5.5 billion people online - nearly all of them active on social media - digital platforms have become the main arena for public debate.

But a steady rise in misogynistic content online is fuelling a toxic environment that not only silences women and girls but also reinforces harmful gender norms, the UN Agency for gender equality, UN Women, warns.

Experts say that addressing this trend requires more than just protecting girls. It also means building a world where boys are free from the pressures of toxic masculinity and restrictive gender expectations.

UN Women’s Kalliopi Mingeirou, who leads the effort to end violence against women and girls, outlined to UN News’s Ana Carmo the alarming spread of online misogyny – and what can be done to stop it.

In West Africa, fonio farming is more than just agriculture, it’s a symbol of resilience and cultural heritage. Chef Binta, an award-winning chef and advocate for nomadic cuisine, is empowering women farmers by promoting this ancient grain. Through the Fulani Kitchen Foundation and support from FAO, she is helping communities enhance food security and shape a sustainable future while celebrating culinary traditions.

The tobacco industry continues to sell death and destruction by using flavors, packaging and advertising.   Is there any “safe” product or consumption method? How does tobacco use harm your body? Join us today in conversation with Simone St. Claire on Science in 5.

What happens when algorithms, rather than people, decide who gets hired, promoted, or assigned to the night shift? In the first episode of Work in Progress, a podcast from the International Labour Organization (ILO) Research Department, we speak with Nikolai Rogovsky, a senior economist at the ILO. We discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming human resource management and its implications for fairness, dignity, and the future of work. With nearly 30 years of experience at the ILO and a Ph.D. from Wharton, Nikolai discusses insights from ILO Working Paper No. 95. The document explores how companies use AI for hiring and workforce optimization and the risks this poses to decent work.

It’s more than just a metal. It’s in our phones, our homes, our cars – quietly powering our daily lives. As demand increases for clean technologies, like solar panels and electric vehicles, copper is increasingly in the spotlight. But what are the costs and consequences of mining it – and who really benefits? Can we meet these demands without repeating past mistakes? In this episode of UNCTAD’s The Weekly Tradecast, we speak with Professor Daniel Franks, Director of the Global Centre for Mineral Security at the University of Queensland. Listen now to learn about the global race for critical minerals, the environmental and social costs of extraction, and the urgent need for inclusive reforms in how we power our future.

With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age over the next decade—and only about 420 million jobs expected to be generated—the urgency of finding scalable and sustainable solutions has never been greater.

In this episode of The Development Podcast, we hear from one young person about their journey into the world of work and what the World Bank Group is doing to address one of the most urgent issues facing development: how to meet the stable employment aspirations of the developing world's fast-growing youth population.

Things should be looking good for young people in the world of work, but they’re not. While unemployment among young workers between 15 and 24 has recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s a growing epidemic of unhappiness among those workers in both the developed and now the developing world. So, what is to be done? This podcast asks David Blanchflower, a professor at Dartmouth College, renowned labour economist and recognized expert on youth employment, what can be done.

Are vaccines safe? What’s actually in them? In this two-part episode of the World Health Organization podcast Science in 5, Dr. Kate O’Brien breaks down how vaccines are tested, approved, and monitored even after they reach the public. She also explains what happens if a safety concern is flagged. 

UN Humanitarian Affairs chief Tom Fletcher has been forced to make “brutal cuts” to his organization, as major donors in the rich world slash their aid and international development spending.

UN News’s Conor Lennon spoke to him on Thursday via video-link from the UN offices in the Afghan capital Kabul, at the end of a three week visit to some of the most vulnerable communities in the country, where he has witnessed first-hand the deadly consequences of the dramatic aid slowdown.

Mr. Fletcher has publicly challenged policymakers who signed off on cuts to come to Afghanistan to see the effect they're having on the population, saying that “the effect of aid cuts, is that millions die”.

Can artificial intelligence, robots and surveillance protect workers on the job? Yes, according to the latest report from the International Labour Organization (ILO). In this new episode of the Future of Work podcast, ILO occupational safety and health expert Manal Azzi explains how AI and technology is being used as a safety net, and not a threat, for workers worldwide.

According to Estelle Koussoube, a senior economist at the World Bank, and Kehinde Ajayi, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), investing in the economic success of adolescent girls in Africa can transform the continent. To learn more, listen to a new episode of the World Bank's Afronomics podcast.

What does a mother need to know to ensure that she has a safe pregnancy and delivery? What are some warning signs to watch for? And what are a woman’s rights while going through a pregnancy and delivery? Join maternal health expert Dr Femi Oladapo in a new episode of WHO's Science in 5 podcast.

Antibiotics save lives. But when the supplies run low or bacteria become resistant, the risks grow — especially in developing countries. On this episode of UNCTAD’s The Weekly Tradecast, economist Bruno Casella explores the challenges of securing essential antibiotics, the impact of limited local production, and how better investment and coordination can strengthen supply chains.

Severe resource shortages are threatening the global response to end tuberculosis. Is the world on the brink of a global TB crisis? A quarter of the world’s population could be infected with TB and not even know it. Is there a cure?  What is the treatment? How do we diagnose TB? Listen to Dr Tereza Kasaeva in a new episode of the World Health Organization’s Science in 5 podcast.