Source: United Nations (video statements)
Joint statement on behalf of the Shared Commitments holders on Women, Peace and Security (Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama and the United Kingdom) and members of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, delivered by Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations, ahead of the Security Council briefing on UNAMA.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)
Middle East/Iran
Lebanon
Sudan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
South Sudan
Abyei
Security Council
Financial Contribution
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
The Commission on the Status of Women is holding its seventieth session here at UN Headquarters in New York, focusing on rights, justice and action for all women and girls.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General delivered remarks at the opening of the session. He stressed that gender equality is, and always has been, a question of power. “No step forward for women’s rights has ever been given. Every step has been won.”
Mr. Guterres highlighted progress within the UN, noting that women now make up half of all UN workforce across professional and higher categories, with parity in senior leadership reached two years ahead of schedule. “We did it not by lowering standards, but by widening the search for talent,” he said.
He also warned that globally, the picture remains deeply concerning. As conflicts rage in the Middle East and elsewhere, women and children are bearing the brunt of the violence and the displacement. He added that the number of women and girls living within 50 kilometres of deadly conflict is at its highest level in decades, while conflict-related sexual violence has surged by 87 per cent in just two years.
And just to flag that there will be several side events this week, including one today at 4:45 p.m. in Conference Room 2, where the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict will launch a Global Network on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence prosecutions.
MIDDLE EAST/IRAN
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, we continue to raise the alarm over the humanitarian impact of escalating violence across parts of the Middle East, which is driving rising civilian casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure and growing displacement of people.
We are particularly concerned by the number of reports of recent strikes on oil facilities, which could have serious environmental consequences across the region, with immediate possible impacts on safe water and air that people need to breathe and on food. This comes on top of strikes on water desalination plants reported in several countries.
And I can tell you that our colleagues at the World Health Organization are particularly following the health impacts of all of these.
The Middle East was already facing immense humanitarian needs prior to this latest escalation.
We reiterate again that all possible precautions must be taken to protect civilians from the impact of hostilities and to avoid damage to health facilities, schools, water systems and other essential infrastructure.
SUDAN
In Sudan, the UN is very alarmed by the series of drone strikes we have seen in recent days across several states in Sudan.
In West Kordofan State, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that strikes in the localities of Abu Zabad and Wad Banda on Saturday reportedly hit a market, possibly killing more than 20 people and injuring many others.
In neighbouring North Kordofan, more than 20 people were reportedly killed in the village of Umm Kereidim on Friday. The International Organization for Migration said that in the village, more than 200 people had to flee their homes.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that yesterday in East Darfur State, a strike on a fuel market in the city of Ad Duyain reportedly killed seven civilians, including a pregnant woman and a child.
We reiterate, yet again, that the parties must adhere to international law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including markets, homes and schools, must never be targeted. Rapid, safe, unhindered humanitarian aid must be allowed at all times.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-09
Source: United Nations (video statements)
United Nations celebrates International Women’s Day 2026 under the theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls."
#IAmMalala
#IWD2026
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Remarks to the press by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, on the situation in Iran.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, marks a moment to amplify our collective determination. No matter how deeply rooted the sexism or how discouraging the politics, we refuse to step back or abandon our mandate. Instead, we climb together – for the rights and empowerment of all women and girls.
This year’s United Nations observance of International Women’s Day will take place on 9 March and focus on equal justice, purposefully aligning with the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) (from 9 to 19 March).
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Journalism is essential to human rights and democracy, yet it can be a dangerous—and too often deadly—profession. Since 2023, there has been an unprecedented surge in the killing of journalists and media workers, with over 240 Palestinian journalists losing their lives in Gaza alone. With restrictions to international media access in Gaza, Palestinian journalists have become the eyes and ears of the world, documenting critical truths at great personal risk.
Speakers:
Biesan Abu-Kwaik, Al Jazeera UN Correspondent
Jodie Ginsberg, Chief Executive, Committee to Protect Journalists
Moderator:
Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary General for Global Communications
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for International Women’s Day 2026.
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António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: Women’s rights are human rights. And investing in women and girls is one of the surest ways to make the world a better place.
Michelle Yeoh, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador: When women are involved in negotiating peace, agreements last longer.
Muniba Mazari, UN SDG Advocate: Women in tech make digital tools more inclusive.
Dia Mirza, UN SDG Advocate and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador: Women in government are more likely to pass climate friendly policies.
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy-Secretary-General: When women have access to decent jobs and fairer workplaces, our economies grow.
Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: And educating girls can unlock the brain power we need to tackle every challenge on Earth.
Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: Girls can do anything, and they deserve the chance.
Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director: We need rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls.
Michelle Yeoh, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador: And we need women everywhere to be free from violence and fear.
Marta Vieira da Silva, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador: In sports.
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs: In politics.
Maj. Nesrine Somai, UN Peacekeeper: In peace, and peace-making.
Frida Amani, UNEP Advocate: In healthcare.
Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: In science.
Dia Mirza, UN SDG Advocate and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador: And in the stories we tell on screen.
Frida Amani, UNEP Advocate: Just look at the young women leading the climate movement across the globe.
Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: Women and girls are claiming their power.
Marta Vieira da Silva, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador: When we invest in women, in girls, life gets better for men and boys too.
Kaliya, UNFPA Honorary Ambassador, Kazakhstan: Life gets better for people with disabilities.
Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: For care workers.
Dia Mirza, UN SDG Advocate and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador: For the planet.
Frida Amani, UNEP Advocate: For children.
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy-Secretary-General: For parents.
Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: For justice.
Kaliya, UNFPA Honorary Ambassador, Kazakhstan: For me.
Victoria Fernandez, UN Staff Member: For me.
Michelle Yeoh, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador: For me.
Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: For me.
Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director: And for me too.
ALL: For me.
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: Women and girls are changing the world. It’s time to change the world for women and girls.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The major commercial shipping crisis caused by the war which has practically halted all vessel movement in the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran is already impacting UN agencies and partners seeking to dispatch lifesaving relief to Gaza and Sudan, among other emergencies. The narrow channel carries nearly one-fifth of global oil along with large volumes of commercial goods.
Secretary-General of International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, provides an update on the current situation.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Rural people are the backbone of food systems worldwide, yet they continue to face persistent challenges — from climate shocks to structural barriers that limit opportunity. Across Africa, investing in rural people — especially women — holds enormous potential to drive food security, reduce poverty, and advance gender equality. This conversation will highlight IFAD’s approach to investing in rural communities in Africa and beyond.
Speakers:
Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Moderator:
Monicah W. Ndung’u, Chief of Corporate Affairs, Marketing & Partnerships Office, Nation Media Group
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The Middle East conflict has reached "a moment of grave peril," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned, cautioning that crises are escalating beyond the control of those who started them.
Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in New York that the region’s overlapping emergencies were becoming dangerously interlinked, fueled by what he described as “staggering amounts of money, reportedly a billion dollars a day, funding this war spent on destruction.”
Fletcher called for immediate de-escalation and an end to hostilities, warning that “civilians are facing those consequences across the Middle East; homes, hospitals, and schools are being hit across the region.” UNICEF has reported more than 190 children killed since the escalation began, including over 180 in Iran, seven in Lebanon, three in Israel and one in Kuwait.
In Iran authorities report more than 1,000 deaths and damage to over 100 civilian sites. Around 100,000 people have been internally displaced in the past week. In Lebanon, more than 100 people have been killed and hundreds injured, with roughly 100,000 people sheltering across hundreds of sites, a country where, even before the current escalation, the World Food Programme reported 874,000 people already lacked adequate food.
In Gaza, Fletcher said aid delivery remains critically constrained. Israel closed all crossings a week ago, preventing humanitarian stocks from being replenished, and while the Abu Salem-Kerem Shalom crossing has since reopened, others including Rafah remain shut. “We’ve been able to bring in less than 1,000,000l of fuel this week,” he said "well below the more than 2,000,000l of fuel that we need as a bare minimum to keep services running.” Medical evacuations remain suspended, and he said key NGO partners continue to face “unacceptable restrictions on their work.”
On Afghanistan, Fletcher reported that fighting near the Pakistan border has killed dozens of civilians, including women and children, with more than 16,000 families fleeing their homes. Border closures have left over 160 aid containers stranded, and flight suspensions are further hampering access.
Fletcher outlined three knock-on risks he said he feared most. First, economic disruption: “when maritime corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, food prices will rise, health systems will be squeezed, and basic commodities, including our humanitarian supplies, will become much harder to access.”
Second, diminished global attention for other crises – in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and Ukraine – where, he stressed, conflicts have not ended.
Third, further erosion of international humanitarian law, with resources flowing toward weapons rather than the diplomatic and financial tools needed to protect lives.
He closed by paying tribute to aid workers operating in active conflict zones. “Humanitarian action is always harder in times of war, but this is of course when it is most needed,” Fletcher said. “The humanitarian movement will once again meet this moment.”
