Development news roundup: US-Afghan agreement confirms long-term partnership, New Zealand’s latest development fund, and more

Today, we reported:

• US, Afghanistan confirm long-term partnership in new pact

• New NZ fund to replace Sustainable Development Fund for NGOs

• Conference preview: Small island developing states to tackle universal energy access

• World Bank adopts new strategy for Kazakhstan

• US investment in global health protects US troops abroad – report

• On the ADB presidency: Stop using nationality as a factor

Other must reads:

• Want to help send 1M poor girls to school? Submit your proposals now

• Ban Ki-moon appoints J.V.R. Prasada Rao as Asia-Pacific special envoy for AIDS

• World Bank approves $65M project that will create 1M jobs, basic infrastructure services in Yemen

• Mozambique’s education sector receives $40M World Bank credit

• Agro-food project in Moldova gains $4.4M GEF grant, $18M World Bank credit

• In open letter, 100 ‘prominent Australians’ urge Prime Minister Julia Gillard to deliver on promise to boost foreign aid

• NGOs debate negotiating with rebels to gain humanitarian access in northern Mali

• Failure to fund sanitation improvement projects kills 1M children annually – Gates Foundation director says

• Aid beneficiaries speak up: What is humanitarian aid?

• Observers claim key proposals for Rio+20 being watered down

• Think tank releases latest review of World Bank’s climate investment funds

• Aid mapping: Not enough for donor accountability

• Airborne drones could revolutionize delivery of humanitarian aid

• Was UK aid responsible for reducing birth rates in India?

• Well-targeted, effective safety nets can mitigate poor people’s suffering

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