While this year’s International Women’s Daymarked annually on 8 March, focuses on justice, the systems meant to protect women and girls are failing, with millions exposed to discrimination, violence and impunity as the backlash against gender equality intensifies and violations of fundamental rights rise worldwide, according to a newly released report from UN Women. Across … Read more
HIGHLIGHTS Watch: International Women’s Day 2026 commemorations at the UN HQs, in New York. UN marks International Women’s Day: Events at UN Headquarters precede the opening of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Womenthe UN’s largest annual forum on gender equality. Focus on “Rights, Justice, Action”: This year’s theme calls for … Read more
The report titled Women in parliament 2025 released ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, also found that women’s leadership in parliament dipped with women holding 12 out of 75 newly appointed speakerships. Meanwhile, quotas were identified as playing a “critical role” in boosting women’s representation in the 49 countries that held elections last … Read more
Experts from around the world shared a range of concerns about how AI is affecting work and presented new ways to harness new technologies that protect rights and foster prosperity during a recent webinar organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Telecommunication Union (itu). “The key issue is not whether AI will … Read more
In South Kordofan, confrontations between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and the Sudanese Armed Forces have “intensified in recent days”, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said. This includes a drone strike that hit the Dilling General Hospital this week, killing at least four patients and injuring civilians. Violence has also escalated … Read more
Despite geopolitical upheavals, the shift from a fossil-fuel-based global economy to one driven by clean electrification remains on track. According to the International Energy Agency (an autonomous international agency that is not part of the UN system), lithium demand grew by nearly 30 per cent in 2024, and nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths by … Read more
“Individually, you come from diverse regions and disciplines, bringing outstanding expertise in AI and related fields. Collectively, you represent something the world has never seen before,” The UN chief told scientists on Tuesday at the first meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. The 40 experts aim to help close “the AI knowledge … Read more
Antonio Guterres presented his latest biennial report on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to Member States during an informal meeting of the General Assembly. It shows that in 2024, an estimated 304 million people were migrants, or 3.7 per cent of the world’s population. Children accounted for between 12 to 14 … Read more
Ahead of World Wildlife Daymarked annually on 3 March, we’re delving into why medicinal plants matter. Plants are critical for ecosystems to economies, said Danna J. Leaman, the outgoing co-chair of the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “In the last 15 … Read more
Briefing reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said any strike against civilians anywhere – or any civilian buildings or other infrastructure is “unacceptable and unjustifiable.” “Between yesterday and the early hours of today, an overnight large-scale drone and missile attack across Ukraine and frontline hostilities resulted in dozens of residential buildings damaged in … Read more