Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, officially launches Women’s Month 2026
Saving the @biodiversity that supports the planet
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Biodiversity is more than beautiful nature—it is essential for earth and all species to thrive. Countries meeting on the UN Biodiversity Treaty are exploring ways to preserve this irreplaceable resource.
South Africa Government: President Ramaphosa Officiates Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility Commercial Operations.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
President Ramaphosa Officiates Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility Commercial Operations.
South Africa: Minister Lamola briefs media on international developments.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, address the media on current developments relating to South Africa’s foreign policy priorities and programmes. These include engagements with the African Union (AU) and final preparations for the 46th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, which is scheduled for 16-17 August 2026 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.
Security Council’s Agenda August 2026 – Denmark Presidency | Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The President of the Security Council for the month of August, Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, told journalists in New York that the Council is expected “to make progress” on the election of a new Secretary-General this month and said this was “arguably one of the most important decisions of the Council this year.”
The Council held its first straw poll on the participating candidates during the month of July, and Lassen said it is expected to conduct another round of later this month.
She said Council members are “very excited about it” and added that there was, “a lot of suspense and excitement” in the room.
Lassen noted that Denmark was one of the Council members “who argued in favour when we were discussing the modalities of these elections for more transparency and for actually releasing the polls.”
She said that after agreeing to keep the straw poll results confidential, it was “unfortunate” that results had been leaked.
Turning to Ukraine, Lassen, who was briefing correspondents on the Council’s program of work for the month, said, “since we entered the Council a little more than a year or a half ago it has been one of our main concerns not surprisingly, we’re in the neighbourhood.”
She said, “Russian attacks on Ukraine keep getting more and more brutal and more and more important in numbers, so to say,” and pointed out that “May and June were already the highest numbers of civilian casualties so far in the conflict. And we haven’t seen the final numbers for July yet, but I fear that that would be again beating that horrible record.”
The Danish Ambassador said, “a just and lasting peace has to, of course, be in accordance with the basic principles of the Charter and respecting every state sovereignty and territorial integrity. So, we believe that a peace has to be comprehensive to be a lasting peace. And that would be the principle we keep we’re working from. And also, the reason what we try to do this month in the Council.”
Europe Will Keep Protecting its Borders
Source: European Commission (video statements)
#eunews #Ceuta #Spain
Following the recent events in Ceuta, the EU stands in solidarity with Spain while working to further strengthen external border management, tackle smuggling networks and enhance cooperation with partners.
Afghanistan, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (4 August 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Afghanistan
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Venezuela
AFGHANISTAN
The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that funding shortfalls are forcing life-saving food and nutrition programmes to be scaled back at the very moment they are needed the most.
WFP said that child food insecurity rose to impact 47 per cent of the population in the first quarter of this year. Colliding crises, including conflict, unemployment, elevated food prices and reduced humanitarian funding, have driven this alarming rise in malnutrition.
The World Food Programme pointed out that this year, remaining nutrition programmes were crippled by a severe shortage of nutrition products driven by conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Pakistan border for nine months. In Afghanistan nearly 3.7 million children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition, while 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to be malnourished – without immediate investment, these figures are set to rise.
LEBANON
Today marks six years since the devastating Beirut Port explosion. Jean Arnault, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), today expressed his unwavering solidarity with all those affected and paid tribute to their relentless pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability.
He said that efforts must be redoubled to advance the judicial proceedings and bring them to a conclusive outcome. To this end, he calls on all relevant actors to take the necessary steps to facilitate swift progress in the case.
Mr. Arnault also underscored the importance of advancing structural reforms to strengthen and safeguard the independence of the judiciary as a cornerstone of effective state-building and Lebanon’s reform agenda.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-04
How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders’ Effective Strategies
Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout.
You’ll learn to:
• Rethink the first and last things you do each day to sharpen your attention
• Craft a “to-feel list” to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful
• Better appreciate the present to take control of your attention
• Think ‘like an ancestor’ to help you think beyond the short term
Featured voices include human flourishing expert and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt; writer and three-time cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad; blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and navigator Doug Smith; Nia Tero CEO Aulani Wilhelm; and Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto. Together, they explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and improving leadership in a distracted world.
Subscribe to Meet the Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform for more practical leadership insights.
About this episode:
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x
Related episodes:
How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor’s Pacific Crossing
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY
The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era – Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI
Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en
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Thank you Rome for a full camera roll 📸
Source: European Central Bank (video statements)
Thank you Rome for a full camera roll 📸
Coral reefs are at crisis point. This scientist has a solution
Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
Archireef creates 3D-printed terracotta tiles that give young #corals the best chance of taking root and flourishing. Vriko Yu, Archireef’s Co-Founder and CEO, explains why this is so important, and what solutions like hers need to expand.
Coral reefs are home to 25% of ocean species, but up to half of these vital marine habitats have already been lost due to warming oceans, pollution and overfishing. This decade still offers a window in which to restore and conserve as many reefs as possible, says Yu.
Vriko Yu is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, part of a network of 1,400 people under 40 driving positive change in their communities and beyond. Learn more: https://www.younggloballeaders.org/home
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress.
Find out more below:
World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
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Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
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