The President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, told journalists in New York that “gender equality has never been more supported globally than today. But at the same time, we have never seen such organised attempts to roll back these successes.”
As the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women takes place at United Nations Headquarters in New York this week, Baerbock said, “all around the world we can see women rights are the benchmark for the strength, freedom and economic development of societies. So therefore, in the interest of all.”
She said, “if countries would close the gender pay gap, the productivity all around the world, the GDP would increase by 12 trillion US dollars. If we would close the digital divide between men and women, the world economy would grow until 2050 by over 100 trillion US dollars. This is the GDP combined between the United States and China.”
The PGA said, “women rights are in the interest of all. Yet, as we have seen over the last week, not only women rights are under attack, it’s also true for the international order.”
She stressed that “defending the UN charter” remains her central priority of the 80th session of the General Assembly.
Turning to UN reform, Baerbock said, “we need even more and very serious debate how to modernise this institution and make it more efficient and more delivering on the principles.”
On the election of the next Secretary-General, she said, “this next Secretary General should provide strong and dedicated, effective leadership skills with experience in governance structures, but also with regard to United Nations, with regard to, management skills of this institution in the light of, the reforms.”
The PGA stressed the importance of regional diversity and noted the consensus “by 193 member states to strongly, call on member states for the nomination of women.”
Five candidates have so far been nominated: Michelle Bachelet of Chile; Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica; Macky Sall of Senegal, and Virginia Gamba and Rafael Mariano Grossi, both from Argentina.
The informal dialogues with candidates are expected to begin on the 20th of April. Each candidate will have a three-hour session, allowing member states, NGO, sufficient time to ask questions. Candidates will also be required to provide financial disclosure.
Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)
EOIR Announced 42 Immigration Judges on Wednesday March 11th.
“This Department of Justice has made reducing the immigration court backlog a top priority, and these 42 new highly qualified judges will help us deliver on that goal,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under the Trump Administration, immigration judges will decide cases based on the law – not politics.”
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General/Travels
Lebanon
UN Interim Force in Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Strait of Hormuz/Humanitarian
Attacks on Synagogues
International Day to Combat Islamophobia
Briefings/Monday
Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General arrived in Beirut earlier today. He arrived from Ankara and landed in Lebanon at a critical and timely moment for country and the wider region. Upon his arrival, he said this is a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon who did not choose this war. They were dragged into it.
The Secretary-General appealed to both parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and stop the enormous suffering of civilians in the region. The Secretary-General just finished a round of meetings with President Joseph Aoun, with the Speaker of Parliament, and Nabih Berri, and with the Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
In all his meetings, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’ strong support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and for the Lebanese State’s exercise of a monopoly on the use of force in its own country. Discussions with Lebanese officials focused on the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701, including the establishment of lasting security and stability across the Blue Line and beyond.
In his meetings, the Secretary-General was accompanied by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, his Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations; Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon; Imran Riza, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon; and Major General Diodato Abagnara, the Force Commander of our peacekeeping forces in the country.
In remarks to the media that have been shared with you, the Secretary-General said that he hopes that his next visit to Lebanon will be a visit of a Lebanon in peace.
The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of Lebanon just launched a Flash Humanitarian Appeal of $308.3 million to provide life-saving support to one million people impacted. And that will cover for the next 3 months.
He also emphasized that the success of this effort will depend on swift and flexible funding, as well as ensuring that humanitarian workers can safely reach those who are most in need. He also called for the respect of the international humanitarian law, and that includes the protection of civilians.
The Secretary-General is scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow for media in Lebanon, and he is expected him back in New York on Sunday.
LEBANON
The UN, along with its humanitarian partners, and together with authorities, are scaling-up urgent assistance to displaced people in Lebanon. As of March 12th, we distributed some 632,000 hot meals and 18,000 ready-to-eat meals.
We’ve also provided more than 382,000 litres of bottled water and over 1,700 cubic metres of clean water through water trucking. More than 211,000 litres of fuel have been supplied to sustain water services to reach 700,000 people.
Government figures indicate that many people continue to be displaced. More than 822,000 people, including nearly 300,000 children, have registered with the Government as being displaced. And around 128,000 people are sheltering in nearly 600 collective sites across the country. We, of course, imagine that the actual number of displaced is much higher.
The UN once again reiterates the need for safe and sustained humanitarian access so that we, and our humanitarian partners, and the Government and humanitarian system can reach people who needs help.
UN INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today said that the situation in southern Lebanon continues to deteriorate, with rockets and missiles fired at Israel and airstrikes in Lebanese territory, resulting in increasing casualties, including civilians, displacement and destruction.
UN Peacekeepers continue to observe artillery shelling in Sector East as well as ground incursions by the Israel Defense Forces up to seven kilometers inside Lebanese territory.
The UN continues to urge all sides to cease hostilities and recommit themselves to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. That resolution remains essential for the safety and security of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.
Peacekeepers remain on the ground in this difficult environment, assisting civilians to move to safer areas and continuing to monitor and report on the situation.
The volatile security situation continues to restrict movements of the peacekeepers.
UNIFIL will continue to facilitate humanitarian access and supporting missions by ourselves and international organizations, including the Lebanese Red Cross to support delivery of essential humanitarian aid to people living in UNIFIL’s area of operation.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-13
‘Indigenous knowledge is observation over long periods of time. We just held our data sets differently.’
Ancient knowledge and modern technology are often seen as being in opposition – but there’s no reason that should be the case, says ‘Aulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, which supports Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship of their homelands and waters.
And the benefits to the planet when these two spheres join forces can be enormous, she argues.
‘Aulani Wilhelm was speaking at Davos.
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
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
WhatsApp ► https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDcHBKGZNCihKxwiD0L
Threads ► https://www.threads.com/@worldeconomicforum
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For Suleika Jaouad, a best-selling author and 3-time cancer survivor, journaling became a life-changing creative outlet during her battles with leukemia as well as a powerful tool for navigating uncertainty. It also became a surprising way to connect with others leading to singular projects that have stuck a chord with hundreds of thousands such as her book, The Book of Alchemy, and her 300,000 member Substack, The Isolation Journals, projects that merge journal prompts and personal essays from the top creative minds of our time. She breaks down practical ways anyone can carve out time for reflection, curiosity and vulnerability and how such a practice can strengthen resilience and connection while sharpening clarity in an age defined by noise and loneliness. And in an era where we write prompts for AI, but question ourselves less and less, she reminds us of the role deeper thought plays in understanding our world and ourselves better. This is a conversation about choosing meaning over motion—and learning to live each day with intention.
About this episode:
Read here – Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/suleika-jaouad-journaling-prompt-creativity-reflection
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j
About this guest:
Book: https://www.suleikajaouad.com/the-book-of-alchemy
Substack: The Isolation journals: https://theisolationjournals.substack.com/
Watch her session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos:
Healing With Sounds and Words
https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/healing-with-sound-and-words/
Related episodes:
Burnout: 4 leaders share real-world stories and how to cope
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5een2u52
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4backy24
Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why this CEO sets ‘non-goals’ – and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness
Watch here – YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA
Read here – Transcript: :https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7
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
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
WhatsApp ► https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDcHBKGZNCihKxwiD0L
Threads ► https://www.threads.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF
Source: Council of the European Union (video statements)
What is the Schengen area? How does it work? And what does it take to let millions of people move freely while keeping the area secure? Find the answers in this video, as we travel across multiple Schengen countries, from Belgium to the Netherlands, Poland and all the way to the border with Ukraine, where Frontex officers work side by side with Polish border guards to help protect the EU’s outer borders.
Discover the history and challenges of an idea that began in the small Luxembourg village of Schengen and grew to cover 29 countries – Bulgaria and Romania were the latest to join, in 2025 – and see how these countries work together, alongside agencies such as Frontex, EU-Lisa, Cepol and Europol, to protect freedom of movement and maintain strong external border security.
Because Schengen is much more than control-free borders. It’s a symbol of trust, cooperation and unity.
So pack your bags and join me on this journey through Schengen!
———————–
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: what is Schengen?
00:35 Three countries, one step
01:00 The birth of Schengen
01:30 From 5 countries to 29
02:10 Life without borders
02:45 The economic boost
03:10 Security at the outer borders
03:40 Inside Frontex
04:30 Keeping watch on the borders
05:00 On the ground in Medyka
06:00 When borders return
06:30 Schengen: Europe’s big achievement
Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)
Ahead of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), what is the state of play in discussions on the Work Programme on E-Commerce? Hear from Ambassador Richard Brown of Jamaica, facilitator of these discussions, who shares perspectives on ongoing work and priorities in this area.
Download this video from the WTO website:
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
Ending illegal accommodation for children in care and securing sufficient regulated care on the agenda as Lord Wood of Anfield pressed the government in this question on Thursday 12 March.
➡️ See question in full and hear from other members at https://orlo.uk/8CAIz
Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2026 (15 March).
"The world’s 2 billion Muslims hail from all corners of the globe, reflecting the vast diversity of humanity itself.
Yet they often face institutional discrimination, socio-economic exclusion, biased immigration policies, and unwarranted surveillance and profiling. These worrying trends are fuelled by anti-Muslim rhetoric and outright hate, which can lead to harassment and violence against individuals and places of worship.
Governments must take concrete steps to address hate speech, protect religious freedom and combat discrimination, including by ensuring full compliance with international human rights law.
Online platforms must work to wipe out hate speech and harassment against people based on their religion or belief.
And all people need to speak out against bigotry, xenophobia and discrimination wherever they find it.
That’s why I appointed in May 2025 the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations as the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia to enhance our collective response.
On this International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let’s re-commit to the equality, human rights and dignity of every person, no matter their faith.
Let’s eradicate the scourge of Islamophobia from every country and community".
More info: https://www.un.org/en/observances/anti-islamophobia-day
