PSEA Outreach Fund - Call for Applications: ICVA and UNHCR are pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 round of the Interagency Community Outreach and Communication Fund on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA Outreach Fund). The detailed English Call for Applications and application form are available here: https://www.icvanetwork.org/resource/pseafund2025call/. Deadline for English applications: 11 July 2025, 17.00 CET

This World Refugee Day, solidarity is the only solution: Next month will mark the 74th anniversary of the adoption of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a monumental act of international solidarity initiated by 145 States, which established the rights of refugees and the responsibility of countries to protect them. World Refugee Day is the annual commemoration of this fundamental moment, an occasion for people around the world to honour refugees, to celebrate their strength and to recognize the remarkable contributions they make to the communities that welcome them, when their rights are upheld, and their voices are heard. We have seen over the decades that the responsibilities set out in the Refugee Convention cannot be met by any one actor alone. The only way we can ensure the rights of forcibly displaced people and build the sort of world we all want to live in is through whole-of-society responses. This is a core principle of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). This World Refugee Day, we encourage all of you to recommit to your extraordinary displays of solidarity, to continue implementing your pledges and sharing stories of your progress.

Ipsos’ global survey shows public support holding steady for refugees despite global fragility: Global public support for refugees’ rights to seek safety continues to hold steady despite current geopolitical fragilities and significant cuts in humanitarian aid, according to a new Ipsos survey released today to mark World Refugee Day. The Ipsos survey also revealed that, across 29 countries, a majority of people believe that wealthier countries should shoulder more responsibility for supporting refugees. Read more here: https://www.ipsos.com/en/world-refugee-day-survey-2025

UNHCR announces the public version of the Rights Mapping and Analysis Platform (RiMAP) is now live and accessible to external readers. RiMAP brings together international treaties, national laws, policy documents and relevant legal analysis in one intuitive online environment. RiMAP covers eleven areas—including asylum and documentation, health, housing and social protection, among many others. It provides the data and insights needed to identify gaps in protection and drive legal and policy reforms for refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. Access RiMAP here: https://rimap.unhcr.org/

The IMF published its updated World Economic Outlook, downgrading global growth projections from 3.3% to 2.8% in the face of tariff spikes and high levels of policy uncertainty. Titled “A Critical Juncture Amid Policy Shifts”, the report notes that the world economy had been on track to emerge from a challenging period post-COVID, but has been plunged into uncertainty. Growth forecasts have been revised downwards, while global headline inflation is expected to decline at a slightly slower pace than what was expected in January. It warns that scaling back international cooperation could jeopardize progress, and urges countries to “work constructively to promote a stable and predictable trade environment and to facilitate international cooperation, while addressing policy gaps and structural imbalances at home” (Chapter 1). The report also encourages policies that promote healthy aging and enhance labor force participation among older individuals and women (Chapter 2) as well as better integration of migrants and refugees in the economy (Chapter 3). Read more here: https://shorturl.at/wqvrS

• Sub-Saharan Africa Update, Africa’s Pulse reports that economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is showing some resilience, despite uncertainty in the global economy and restricted fiscal space. Regional growth is expected to reach 3.5 percent in 2025 and further accelerate to 4.3 percent in 2026-2027. However, countries rich in resources and those facing fragility, conflict, and violence are growing more slowly than the rest of the region, and the region is struggling to reduce poverty and create enough good jobs for its young population. It recommends Governments focus on providing quality public services and fairly-regulated market competition. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/africa-pulse

CGD’s Karen Mathiesen and Nico Martinez publish a new Note, “The African Development Fund Replenishment and the Resource Curse of 2025” in which they discuss the difficulties in replenishment negotiations for the African Development Fund (ADF) of the AfDB. AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina has urged shareholders to support the target of $25 billion for ADF 17, up from $9 billion for ADF16, but this will be a tall order in the current donor climate. Other options are limited. The authors note four ways the ADF could help sustain lending volumes: expanding donor options, appealing to nontraditional donors, issuing debt, and doubling down on aid effectiveness. In a new podcast, Karen Mathiesen of CGD and AfriCatalyst’s Daouda Sembene interview three of the five candidates for AfDB President. Listen or read the transcript here: https://shorturl.at/pk6Rg

The IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings took place in Washington DC from 22-25 April, under the headline “Jobs – The Path to Prosperity”. Key sessions focused on the need to generate jobs for 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies who are due to reach working age over the next decade (only about 420 million jobs are currently projected). Speaking in a flagship event, WB President Ajay Banga spoke about his jobs strategy, unpacking the need for investment in the key job-creating areas of infrastructure, agriculture, primary health care, tourism and manufacturing, while also underlining that advances also require investment in child development, skills and women’s economic empowerment. He also noted the importance of reducing tariffs. The WBG also announced the launch of the next phase of its Private Sector Investment Lab, which will expand to include industry leaders with experience generating jobs in developing economies. https://shorturl.at/lk5vh

On the sidelines of the 11th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) held from 9-11 April 2025 in Kampala - Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR held a joint side event on 10th April, with a focus on Driving Job Creation and Economic Growth Through Evidence-Based Private Sector Solutions in Refugee-Hosting Areas in Africa. The side event underscored the critical need for integrating refugees into economic frameworks, fostering private sector engagement, and ensuring collaborative efforts among governments, humanitarian agencies, and the private sector to create jobs and develop sustainable solutions for the economic inclusion of refugees and host communities.

WB Releases Economic Update: On 4/1, WB released the Rwanda Economic Update (REU), titled Modernizing Agriculture to Accelerate Structural Transformation. The report highlights that Rwanda has exhibited strong resilience amidst global uncertainties, driven by robust private consumption, significant investment and strong performances in services, industry, and a recovering agriculture sector. This led to significant improvements in the labor market, with the creation of over half a million new jobs on a year-on-year basis. The REU recommends strengthening seed systems and implementing regulatory reforms to attract private investment. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/04/01/rwandas-afe-economy-registers-robust-growth-in-2024-despite-global-challenges