Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee examines making commonhold work and enabling the conversion of existing leasehold blocks as it continues the evidence sessions for its inquiry examining the Government’s draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.
Witnesses:
Mari Knowles – Solicitor at Commonhold and Leasehold Experts Ltd
Dr Douglas Maxwell – Barrister at Henderson Chambers
Philip Rainey KC – Barrister at Tanfield Chambers
Mark Chic – Director at Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners
Philip Freedman CBE KC – member of the Land Law and Conveyancing Committee at The Law Society
Vanessa Griffiths – member of the RICS Residential Professional Group Panel at Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Emily d’Albuquerque – General Counsel and Director of Data & Register Integrity Group at HM Land Registry
On 10 March Commission President von der Leyen is opening the Nuclear Energy Summit 2026, in Paris.
The event aims to strengthen international cooperation and promote solutions for the safe and sustainable development of civil nuclear power.
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UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Georgette Gagnon said that the country “could again become a driver of regional and global instability, in the form of out-migration, terrorism, narcotics and more.”
Addressing the Security Council, Gagnon said, “The conflict with Pakistan has had punishing human and economic costs. We reiterate the Secretary General’s deep concern about the escalation and impact on civilian populations, his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for the two countries to resolve any differences through diplomacy. We urge both sides to recommit to a ceasefire without delay and safeguard the protection of civilians. I also reiterate our request to ensure the free flow of humanitarian assistance into Afghanistan.”
She continued, “It is difficult to predict the outcome of the conflict in the Middle East, but it is already affecting Afghanistan. With the border closed between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iran provided an alternative trade route that is now also increasingly uncertain due to the ongoing conflict. The prices of basic commodities in Afghanistan have begun to rise, stressing Afghanistan’s already fragile economy. Instability in the region, on both of Afghanistan’s longest borders, undermines Afghanistan’s stability.”
She stressed, however, “that Afghanistan’s continued alienation from the international system remains the central issue. It prevents other issues, such as economic self-sufficiency, security cooperation, counter-terrorism commitments, human rights concerns, and the humanitarian crisis, from being fully addressed. If these issues are not dealt with, Afghanistan could again become a driver of regional and global instability, in the form of out-migration, terrorism, narcotics and more.”
She also said, “The humanitarian situation is taxing the resilience of Afghan communities. Since 2021, international partners have responded generously to address urgent humanitarian needs. This year, however, the humanitarian crisis is worsened by significant funding cuts, growing needs—including due to large-scale return of refugees—and policies of the de facto authorities that prioritize ideological rigidity over the well-being of the Afghan people. Restrictions on women working in the humanitarian sector is one clear example.”
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.
Leading voices on women’s rights and justice joined UN Women for the official United Nations commemoration of International Women’s Day 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
At a time when women’s rights face renewed backlash around the world, the International Women’s Day 2026 event, held under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls”, underscored the power of women and girls, across generations, movements and cultures, in all their diversity, coming together to defend equality and demand change for all women and girls.
Anne Hathaway, actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador stated, “Our choosing to celebrate today does not signal that we are here to accommodate injustice. No. Our celebration today affirms our determination to outlast it. Don’t let us wait, please. Happy International Women’s Day.”
Aligned with 70th Commission on the Status of Women, the observance is conceived as a single, continuous political moment that will elevate global attention to justice as the critical bridge between rights on paper and rights in practice, reaffirming collective resolve to confront persistent setbacks, violence and the denial of rights.
Bringing together Member State delegations, global leaders, advocates, Goodwill Ambassadors and global voices, the observance served as a high-visibility platform to galvanize leadership, media engagement and concrete action towards ensuring equal access to justice for all women and girls.
Women’s leadership does not diminish with age—it deepens. Yet too often, women are expected to narrow their roles or step out of visibility just as their experience and influence grow. This conversation creates a moment to recognise women’s leadership across the life course and to reaffirm the value of authority built over time.
Aligned with the priorities of the Commission on the Status of Women, the discussion brings together women whose leadership spans business, culture and public advocacy, illustrating how influence can be carried forward to shape institutions, narratives and policy agendas. It challenges ageism alongside sexism, reframing later stage leadership not as reinvention, but as continuity of power, voice and public contribution.
Linking lived experience to the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, the conversation moves beyond personal narrative to structural questions: what enables women to keep leading across stages of life, what barriers still limit that leadership, and what commitments are needed to ensure women’s experience is recognised as a public asset. The focus is clear—enabling women to continue shaping decisions and driving impact at every age and stage of life.
Moderator:
Karen Davila, Broadcast Journalist, Television News Anchor and Radio Presenter, UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines
Speakers:
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, Nigeria
Loida Lewis, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, TLC Beatrice, LLC and Reginald F. Lewis Foundation
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.
