As the United Nations assesses the implementation of its 2030 Agenda for Development, including its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the estimated funding needs keep skyrocketing --- from the initial millions and billions to trillions of dollars annually. Roberto Bissio, Coordinator of Social Watch, said the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that all but a few countries have the necessary resources domestically to offer a dignified social protection floor to everybody.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende has strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority for using Norwegian aid money to establish a women's center in Burqa named in honor of terrorist Dalal Mughrabi. Brende further noted that "Norway will not enter into any new aid agreements with the Palestinian Election Commission or UN Women in Palestine until procedures are put in place to ensure actions such as these don't happen again in the future."

In order to reduce poverty and introduce community development, oftentimes it’s best to start with women. That’s the approach taken by Oklahoma City-based non-governmental organization World Neighbors in its work in Nepal and India. World Neighbors currently works in about 20 villages in Bihar, India and in nearly 32 communities over five districts in Nepal. The three main areas of work are sustainable agriculture and rural livelihood, community-based natural resource management, and reproductive health and gender equity.

Sports has the power to unite the world like little else or so proves a documentary on the UAE fotoball team. The Emirates Diplomatic Academy, as part of its Culture Week, screened Lights of Rome - a documentary on the incredible journey of the UAE's national football team to 1990 Fifa World Cup Italy. The heroics of the Golden Generation of footballers in 1990 placed the UAE on the world map and also provided a glimpse of the progress the country was set to make in future. More importantly, the world stage provided an opportunity to showcase the Emirati culture and promote the country.

The Australia Council for the Arts has announced that nine established Aboriginal Art Curators are taking part in an international exchange program at the 57th Biennale in Venice. Ozco's Executive Director Strategic Development and Advocacy, Dr Wendy Were explained that the First Nations Curators Program at the 2017 Venice Biennale builds on the First Nations Curators Exchanges held at 8th Asia Pacific Triennial in 2015 and in New Zealand in 2017 involving Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians.

Izumi Nakamitsu took office as U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs — the highest U.N. post dealing with disarmament affairs — on May 1. She is currently the highest-ranking Japanese official at the United Nations. In a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nakamitsu revealed her intention to “quietly” support discussions between member nations on reducing armaments.