Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Transforming Education Summit +4/DSG Travel
UN Women
Security Council
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
South Sudan
Venezuela
International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide In Srebrenica
World Population Day
World Horse Day
International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms
International Day of Hope
Noon Briefing Guests/Monday
TRANSFORMING EDUCATION SUMMIT +4/DSG TRAVEL
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, arrived in Paris this morning for the Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4). That summit was convened by the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In her opening remarks, she stressed that education remains one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable development, peace, and opportunity. She called for financing in education to be treated as an investment in people, an investment in economies and an investment in sustainable development. The Deputy Secretary General stressed that education becomes the great enabler of every learner, every economy, and every hope we have for 2030 and beyond.
The Summit brings together leaders and partners to take stock of progress since the 2022 Transforming Education Summit and accelerate action on SDG 4. While in Paris, the Deputy Secretary-General met with the President of South Africa and Co-Chair of the High-Level Committee on SDG4, and that is Cyril Ramaphosa. They discussed the strong cooperation between South Africa and the United Nations. She also met with a number of senior UNESCO officials, civil society representatives, youth partners, and others who are attending the summit.
She will be back in New York on Saturday.
Also today, UNESCO launched a report warning that international aid to education could fall up to 30 per cent between 2023 and 2027. According to them, 113 countries spend more on debt servicing than education. The report brings concrete recommendations to help countries break the debt trap and invest in education.
UN WOMEN
The UN Women today released a report warning that deep cuts in humanitarian funding are forcing women’s organizations to scale back or even shut down, with at least one million women and girls losing access to critical support since January 2025.
The report notes that some 120 million women and girls worldwide require humanitarian assistance and protection. Yet, almost half of the 855 women’s organizations surveyed across 52 crisis- and conflict-affected countries, that includes Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti, are at risk of shutting down temporarily or even permanently within a year due to a lack of funding. 65 per cent of these women-led organizations say their staff are working without pay to keep services running; more than three-quarters say they have cut staff.
The report also warns that the consequences extend beyond humanitarian response, threatening to reverse progress on women’s rights, reduce women’s participation in community leadership and decision-making.
UN Women is calling for sustainable investment in women’s organizations, which it describes as indispensable first responders and a foundation for protection, recovery and peace.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-10