Source: Council of the European Union (video statements)
International Women’s Day 2026! Discover how the EU is working toward more gender equality across Europe. From equal pay to more women in leadership roles. Here’s what you need to know! #InternationalWomensDay #GenderEquality #EU
Source: European Commission (video statements)
8 March 2026 — On International Women’s Day, the European Commission celebrates the power of women across Europe and beyond.
This year, we highlight:
• Challenging gender stereotypes
• Increasing women’s participation in decision-making
• Ending violence against women and girls
The power is in us — in women shaping policy, driving innovation, building communities, and leading change every day. When women thrive, Europe thrives.
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 Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Before 1918 women had to sit separately to watch parliamentary proceedings in the House of Commons. Today there are more than 250 women MPs, while just over 100 years ago they weren’t allowed to stand as candidates.
This International Women’s Day, we explore the history of the Ladies Gallery grilles and suffragette protests in the Commons Chamber.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
Social Cluster led by Minister of health, Dr Aron Motsoaledi briefs media
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: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers tribute at the Homegoing Service for Rev. Jesse Jackson
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: World Economic Forum (video statements)
This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:14 – – What Running Teaches Us All: Steady practice brings steady improvement. Some pain barriers are only mental. And sometimes, it’s important to know when to quit. These are just some of the lessons that Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, has picked up from his record-breaking amateur career as a distance #runner. In this video, Thompson discusses how to overcome mental blocks, how to handle limitations, and more.
03:28 – Turning Waste into Fuels of the Future: Farms and cities produce millions of tonnes of organic #waste every year, in the form of food waste, old cooking oils and agricultural refuse. But what if this potential pollution could be converted into clean fuels to power cars, planes and ships? Here, Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz talks us through the innovative facilities using hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unwanted waste to power a low-carbon future.
06:06 – Hidden Materials Drive the AI Revolution: Behind every AI data centre lies a vast quantity of #minerals such as copper, germanium, aluminum or lithium. And as AI scales up, so does the demand for the materials that make it possible. But preparing the ground for new mines – responsibly and sustainably – doesn’t happen overnight. Jonathan Price, President and CEO of Teck, explains how the difference between data centre and #mining timelines could shape the speed of AI growth.
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