By Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and Isabel Ortiz
NEW YORK, Apr 24 2025 – The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) will bring world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how to finance a better future for all. Yet, in practice, the first drafts of its outcome reveal a glaring omission: people. Despite rhetoric about inclusivity, the drafts are strikingly weak on social issues, as if financing and macroeconomic policies exist in a vacuum, detached from the lives they impact.

This is not just an oversight—it’s a continuation of a decades-long mistake in economic policymaking, where abstract macroeconomic principles have been always prioritized over human welfare, inflicting suffering on billions. “Must we starve our children to pay our debts?” asked Julius Nyerere, former president of Tanzania, in the 1980s. Today, 3.3. billion people live in countries that spend more on debt service than health and education, and 6.7 billion endure austerity cuts. For too long, neoliberal economic policies have treated people as an afterthought.

Sakiko Fukuda-Parr

While trillions of dollars have been funneled to creditors and corporations, macroeconomic stability and debt service have been pursued at the expense of the poor and the shrinking middle and working classes. In recent years, billions of lives were upended by budget cuts: reduced pensions and social protection benefits; lower salaries; less access to health and education; cuts to programs for women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities. Labor and corporate regulations were dismantled in the name of growth, job security eroded, consumption taxes rose, increasing prices and further squeezing household incomes. It is hardly surprising that social discontent and political instability are increasing.

The FfD4 outcome risks perpetuating this terrible legacy. While drafts pay lip service to social issues, they generally fail to incorporate them in the recommendations of each of the main sections: domestic public finance; private finance; development cooperation; trade; debt; international financial architecture and systemic issues; science, technology, data and monitoring. Notably, the main beneficiaries of the private finance section are foreign investors and corporations!

The time for excluding people is over. The FfD4 must put people at the center of its agenda to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and becoming irrelevant. Governments and international institutions must recognize that macroeconomic and financial decisions have profound social impacts—and act accordingly. The final outcome should include commitments to:

Isabel Ortiz

1. Domestic public finance expenditures: Prioritize universal social protection or social security, quality education health, water, and other basic economic and social rights. Adequate financing for these priorities must be integrated into national development plans and budgets, with guarantees against retrogression or backsliding during crises, in accordance with human rights and labor standards. Austerity cuts are not an option. Social insurance, a key element of social security, has its own funding mechanism, employers’ and workers’ contributions (so far ignored by the FfD4 drafts), that must be set at adequate levels, especially raising corporations’ contributions to make social security sustainable, combined with the formalization of workers in the informal economy to ensure decent jobs with social security, and expand coverage.

2. Domestic finance revenues: Introduce more progressive taxation with effective international tax cooperation. Revenue raising is essential for social priorities but should not rely on taxation of those with lower incomes – such as consumption tax – but on those with the means – such as taxes on wealth, windfall profits and corporate income. End loopholes by eliminating tax havens and illicit financial flows, as well as by adopting the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation to stop corporate tax dodging. Gender-responsive budgets must be implemented to ensure that both revenues and expenditures accrue to women – half of the world’s population.

3. Private finance: Ringfence social infrastructure and services from private financing. Privatization and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) of public services have repeatedly failed, leading to higher costs, reduced access, and poorer services. Public investment, not privatization, is the key to equitable and resilient social systems. Mandate human rights due diligence for private investors (binding rules, not voluntarism), with accountability, enforcing penalties for private actors that undermine labor/environmental standards.

4. Trade: Allow policy space to Global South countries to protect local industries and food sovereignty, and subject trade agreements to social impact assessments (SIAs) to evaluate their effects on employment, inequality, gender, and access to goods and services. Abandon investor-state dispute systems (ISDS) that override public interest. Trade policies must maximize social benefits and mitigate adverse impacts.

5. Debt: Establish a fair and transparent UN debt workout mechanism to effectively reduce illicit sovereign debts and incorporating human rights into Debt Sustainability and Debt Restructuring Assessments, ensuring that debt service does not result in social spending cuts.

6. Technology: Tax Big-Tech and address the negative social impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as job displacement and wealth concentration. Adequate social protection measures must be enacted for those affected by job losses, and AI-driven profits must be taxed to redistribute benefits back to society.

7. International financial architecture: Reform the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to shift voting power to Global South and to end their support to austerity policies: The IMF as well as the MDBs must stop promoting regressive reforms and austerity measures that harm people. Adjustment programs, as well as surveillance policy advice, often cut/rationalize necessary benefits for women, children, persons with disabilities, pensioners, and the unemployed, just for cost-savings, leaving only a minimal safety net for the poorest. These measures violate human rights law, including labor standards, approved by all countries: the IMF and the MDBs should align themselves with them. Additionally, a fairer and periodic distribution of IMF Special Drawing Rights should be allowed, without policy conditionalities, to fund human rights and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

8. Data, monitoring and follow-up: Strengthen data systems to assess the social impacts and distributional effects of financing policies. This includes disaggregated data by, at least, gender and income group. If analysis reveals that the majority of people are not the primary beneficiaries or that human rights are undermined, policies must be revised to ensure equitable development.

The FfD4 outcome is an opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past. Governments must recognize that financing for development is not just about balancing budgets or stabilizing economies —it’s about improving citizens’ lives. If the outcome document fails to prioritize social issues, it will not only betray the promise of the financing for development process but also perpetuate current systemic inequalities.

Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor of international Affairs at The New School in New York, is a former director at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Isabel Ortiz, Director of the Global Social Justice, is a former director of the International Labor Organization and UNICEF, and a former senior official at the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank.

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By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 23 2025 – On March 19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) issued a report on the State of Global Climate in 2024, detailing the numerous heightened natural disasters that were a consequence of human-induced climate change. With the past three years having been recorded as the three hottest years in human history, climate scientists are optimistic that 2025 will see slightly cooler global temperatures.

Despite this, Europe is projected to experience its hottest year ever recorded. On April 15, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) issued the second annual report on the European State of the Climate, finding that the average temperature in March 2025 was approximately 1.6C (2.88F) higher than in pre-industrial times, and 0.26C (0.468F) higher than the previously highest recorded March in 2014.

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent and is experiencing serious impacts from extreme weather and climate change. Every additional fraction of a degree of temperature rise matters because it accentuates the risks to our lives, to economies and to the planet,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Additionally, according to figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this January was recorded as the hottest January in human history. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) also states that there is roughly a 7 percent chance that the entirety of 2025 will surpass the average global temperatures recorded in 2024. Additionally, arctic sea ice has reached its lowest extent in January, recording at 6 percent below average.

This can be attributed to the La Niña phenomenon, which is also known as the cooling phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. Beginning in December 2024 and ending in April 2025, La Niña is defined by the cooling of ocean surface temperatures, changes in wind and precipitation patterns, an increase in Atlantic hurricanes, drier conditions in the South, and wetter conditions in the Northwest.

Tropical regions, which have historically been impacted the hardest by El Niño, have experienced varying degrees of relief from high temperatures and climate disasters due to the cooling effects of La Niña. With La Niña bringing rainfall to areas that have experienced drought in the past year, local economies dependent on agriculture will likely experience less hardship in producing yields. Areas such as South America, which have experienced flooding last year are projected to have faced drier conditions in the past few months.

Additionally, NOAA states that La Niña has had a profound impact on marine life off the Pacific coast. This phenomenon pushes cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface of the coast, creating a hospitable environment for fish and phytoplankton. Cold-water species, like squid and salmon, are also attracted to these areas, nourishing the fishing industries in these areas.

A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicates that La Niña will adversely impact certain areas. For example, the Horn of Africa is estimated to be one of the hardest-hit areas. Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya are expected to see crop and livestock losses as a result of droughts caused by La Niña, exacerbating acute food insecurity and disrupting regional financial stability.

According to figures from WMO, the effects of La Niña are expected to fade by the midpoint of the year. The agency states that there is roughly a 60 percent chance that conditions will shift back to ENSO-neutral temperatures by March-May 2025, with the probability of this increasing by ten percent for April-June 2025. ENSO-neutral temperatures indicate that temperatures are not increased or decreased, respectively, by El Niño or La Niña. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo states that conditions as a result of El Niño are not expected to return at this time.

However, it is imperative that governments and climate scientists use trends in weather patterns to prepare for natural disasters. “Seasonal forecasts for El Niño and La Niña and the associated impacts on weather and climate patterns globally are an important tool to inform early warnings and early action…These forecasts translate into millions of dollars’ worth in economic savings for key sectors like agriculture, energy and transport, and have saved thousands of lives over the years by enabling disaster risk preparedness,” added Saulo.

According to climate scientist Gavin Schmidt, with ENSO-neutral conditions having returned, 2025 is expected to be the third-hottest year on record, falling behind 2024 and 2023, but ahead of 2016. Despite minor improvements from the previous year, recent developments, such as the United State’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the reduction of climate programs funded by USAID, threaten to push the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) out of reach.

“As one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, the United States has a responsibility to lead the way in ditching fossil fuels and supporting the worldwide transition to zero carbon economies,” said Paul O’Brien, the Executive-Director of Amnesty International USA. “By refusing to join the international community in taking the necessary steps to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, President Trump is skirting that responsibility. Worst yet, such a move will only encourage other leaders to follow suit.”

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By Diwash Gahatraj
NEW DELHI, Apr 23 2025 – The Chel Snakehead fish, thought to be extinct, has made a dramatic comeback to the eastern Himalayan ecosystem after more than 85 years of absence near its source river in India.

Scientifically known as Channa amphibeus, its reemergence has delighted scientists and conservationists. The fish was found near its source river in Gorubathan, a tiny hamlet in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. River Chel is a tributary of the Teesta River.

Two zoologists, Shaw and Shebbeare, collected the last specimens of Channa amphibeus in colonial India in 1938. Since then, despite numerous surveys, no one has found this mysterious fish until September 2024.

“I first learned about this species in 2007 during my bachelor’s in fisheries science,” says Dr. Praveenraj Jayasimhan, the 35-year-old scientist who led the rediscovery effort. “I considered it either to be a myth or simply an unusual variant of another species.”

Praveenraj, who works as a scientist at ICAR-CIARI in the Andamans and holds a PhD in Aquatic Animal Health Management, has previously rediscovered other lost fish species and discovered 19 new species. He has been working on Indian fishes since 2015, but the Chel Snakehead presented a unique challenge.

The breakthrough came in 2024 when Praveenraj received a video from a friend showing what appeared to be the lost fish. “Tracking down the location proved challenging,” he explains. “We initially suspected the video might be a morphed one.”

Through persistent effort and interviews with local communities, Praveenraj and his team—including Dr. Moulitharan Nallathambi, Tejas Thackeray, and Gourab Kumar Nanda—were ultimately able to pinpoint the fish’s location in the villages near the Chel River in northern Bengal.

In an interview with IPS, Praveenraj clarifies that the  fish didn’t actually vanish; rather, it’s an extremely elusive species with burrowing behavior so can only be observed during the monsoon season.

“No serious attempts had been made to locate it for decades,” he says.

Read the excerpts of the interview below.

IPS: What does the rediscovery of the Chel snakehead mean for biodiversity and conservation?

Praveenraj: A fish that was thought to be extinct for a long time has now been found. It reflects our limited understanding of our natural world. For example, the Himalayan region is still unknown. Just like we have the mysterious stories of the Himalayan Yeti, Channa amphibeus is also an animal that existed, but no one attempted the search operation because it required a lot of funding and local support. This highlights how limited our understanding of the natural world truly is.

It was a five-member team, including me. The team consisted of Nallathambi, assistant professor at Tamil Nadu fisheries university, N. Balaji, a fish hobbyist and taxonomist from Mumbai; Tejas Thackeray from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation; and Nanda, a  zoology student from Odisha.

IPS: Tell me about your research process—like the methodology, timeline, and a little description of your team.

Praveenraj: It was very surprising for us. We collected the samples in September 2024 and initially I was stunned to see the fish for the first time. We photographed them alive using high-resolution cameras to note the color patterns, as these were the only specimens through which the general public and the scientific community could see them alive. We stabilized some in ethanol and formalin for further study. We counted the number of scales and fins to compare it with the older literature on Channa amphibeus of Shaw & Shebbeare in 1938. We studied the DNA of C. amphibeus. They were the first DNA sequences to be generated for amphibians. In addition, I used X-rays to note the count of vertebrae. The whole process usually takes very long; it takes months. We were extremely eager to complete the task. We were able to finish the process in one month.

IPS: River Teesta and its tributaries are home to several vulnerable species, like the Mahseer, Snow Trout, and Indian Catfish. How do you see the rediscovery of the Chel snakehead influencing the overall understanding of biodiversity in the region?

Praveenraj: The biodiversity of the Indian Himalayan regions is still underestimated. We can still meet new species if properly surveyed. Unfortunately, no agency or institution specifically provides funding for taxonomic research. The rediscovery of the Chel snakehead shows that ideal habitats still exist in these rivers for the species to survive, although there has been much habitat degradation in these areas over the years.

IPS: In your research, what were your findings about the state of our Himalayan rivers and their biodiversity? Kindly elaborate.

Praveenraj: I see a lot of potential in that region. The Himalayas stretch for about 2,400 km as an arc from west-northwest to east-southeast across the northern tip of the Indian subcontinent. These mountains are the source of some of the region’s major rivers, including the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus, which help regulate the climate of much of the subcontinent and beyond. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive checklist for the fish species found in these rivers, and there are no concrete studies discussing small and cryptic fish species. Of course, there are some checklists, but most of those tasks were based on the Fish Landing Center Survey. I believe that the number of fish species could be more than what we currently assume, a total of 600 species.

 IPS: In your research, have you found any impact on aquatic life due to the rapid increase in anthropogenic activities (like construction of dams and railway lines, highways, and buildings)?

Praveenraj: Yes, these anthropogenic activities are always happening because of development. We can see habitats being destroyed. But still such species can be found in small pockets in remote areas.

IPS: How do you see the role of local communities, like the one in Gorubathan or the nearby region, in the conservation of these species going forward?

Praveenraj: The species, locally known as Bura chung or Bora chang, is considered a special delicacy and is typically collected in small quantities for food. The local community possesses valuable indigenous knowledge regarding the collection of this fish. It’s traditionally kept as a secret diet, primarily reserved for pregnant women. While the local population may not be fully aware of the species’ conservation status, our interviews with locals suggest that the fish is found in significant numbers during the monsoon season. It hibernates in winter and burrows into deep horizontal holes during the summer when water is scarce. Since it is harvested in low numbers for food, I don’t feel there is a threat to this species.

IPS: How important do you think it is to raise public awareness about species like the Chel snakehead?

Praveenraj: Since the fish comes from a very remote location, we believe that some kind of local awareness is required for the local community to protect it. We managed to provide them with information about the fish for local conservation. For example, we asked them to provide us with its life history traits to fully understand its habitat and breeding nature. We have also advised them to do sustainable harvesting during their hibernation time.

IPS: There has been an increasing interest in ornamental fish varieties, including snakeheads, across Asia. How do you think this rising demand for ornamental fish could affect the conservation of native species in the Teesta River, especially if such fish are overharvested for trade?

Praveenraj: As of now, only a few fish species are collected from the Teesta for the aquarium trade; however, these fish are regularly fished by the local communities for food. It is their staple diet. Anthropogenic activities like sand mining, railway lines, pollution, and discharge from tea plantations have more impact than the collection attempts for the aquarium trade.

IPS: From a policy standpoint, how can the government of India, particularly in states like West Bengal and Sikkim, enhance conservation efforts for vulnerable species in the Teesta River?

Praveenraj: The government can establish a captive breeding program and habitat restoration programme  for the vulnerable or threatened fishes and do periodic ranching; that is how we can conserve species.

IPS: What are the gaps in existing policies that need to be addressed?

Praveenraj: Fishes need to be given priority like we give for higher vertebrates. Pollution and sand mining have to be prevented. Research institutions in each state must breed their own local indigenous fish species and do periodic ranching.

IPS: Looking ahead, what do you believe the rediscovery of the Chel snakehead signifies for future research and conservation in the region?

Praveenraj: Lots to be explored; however, we hardly have any taxonomists working on freshwater fishes in India, hardly any, about six or eight people. We need to strengthen biodiversity studies and focus more on our indigenous fishes. Rediscovery of the Chel snakehead signifies how ignorant we are to ignore a large snakehead fish for decades.

 IPS: What should be the next steps in ensuring the survival of this species and others in similar ecosystems?

Praveenraj: The next step is to breed these snakeheads, which will sustain the fish in captivity. Aquarium hobby has sustained many fishes in captivity despite local extinction of the same in the wild. We must breed and conserve our Indian megafauna rather than banning them or including them in the Wildlife Protection Act, which has no meaning at all. Research institutions must come forward and attempt captive breeding for this beautiful and elusive snakehead.

IPS: Lastly, How can local communities, scientists,  researchers, and the general public collaborate in preserving biodiversity?

Praveenraj: They must work together to preserve our local biodiversity. This is an era of digital technology; many are using social media to report new species and alien fish species, which are contributing to scientists and researchers. We hope that this understanding continues to grow.

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By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 23 2025 – UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Lula da Silva of Brazil on Wednesday, April 23, held a closed-door meeting with heads of state to discuss strengthening global efforts against the climate crisis and to ensure a just energy transition.

The heads of state comprised a small but representative group, which included major economies and leaders of some of the most vulnerable countries in the climate crisis. Among the attendees were President Xi Jinping of China, President Emmanuel Macron of France, President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya and Prime Minister Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands.

Key regional partnerships were also represented by their leaders, including the African Union, chaired by President João Lourenço of Angola; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its chair, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia; the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), chaired by President Surangel Whipps Jr. of the Republic of Palau; and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.

“Our world faces massive headwinds and a multitude of crises. But we cannot allow climate commitments to be blown off course,” said Guterres. “We must keep building momentum for action as COP30 in Brazil approaches—and today was an important part of that effort.”

One senior UN official told the press ahead of the meeting that it was intended for heads of state to “reaffirm” their commitment to the Paris Agreement and to multilateralism, adding that “global challenges require global solutions.”

The official also noted that the states acknowledged that this year’s climate conference would be happening under a unique context, noting that the world was “seeing in real time an acceleration of the climate crisis,” as climate disasters have increased in severity and frequency, sparing no country or continent.

On the other hand, there is the “revolution of renewable sources,” according to the same UN official. In 2024, 40 percent of electricity generated globally came from renewable energy sources. The global job market in the renewable source sector has also seen upward momentum. As countries make moves to meet their NDCs and climate action plans, they may be encouraged by the growing number of jobs in the renewable sources sector as the “economic opportunity of the century,” according to Guterres.

As the host for COP30, Brazil has stated its commitment to mobilizing the international community, according to one senior official from Brazil working in the COP30 team. Wednesday’s meeting was one example of the COP team’s efforts to “mobilize support, mobilize action, and mobilize ambition ahead of COP30.” This senior official remarked that there would be an emphasis on the implementation phase of their climate action plans, acknowledging the general public’s expectations for more action so they could “believe in the process” of multilateralism as it applies to climate change. They expect to reach COP30 with a “very different and dynamic approach.”

This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Countries will present their new national climate goals and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The senior official from Brazil acknowledged that countries may present their NDCs in September to give time to process the information, but it is not a set deadline for them to present where they are in the process of meeting their goals. So far, only a small handful of countries have submitted their NDCs. Of them, only ten countries submitted their NDCs by the UN’s original deadline of February 10.

While countries solidify their transitions to climate-friendly initiatives, they must also scale up support to developing countries to meet their goals, Guterres said.

“Africa and other parts of the developing world are experiencing faster warming—and the Pacific islands are seeing faster sea-level rise—even while the global average itself is accelerating.” Meanwhile, despite being home to 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources, Africa has only around 1.5 percent of installed solar capacity—and receives just two percent of global investment into renewables,” he warned.

Guterres also renewed his calls for increased contributions in climate finance, including doubling adaptation finance and mobilizing 1.3 trillion USD a year for developing countries by 2035.

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