International Women’s Day 2025; March 8th.

FORUM: “For all Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” International Women’s Day 2025. This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change. Under the banner of UN Women’s global campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, “For ALL Women and Girls”, this year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry to take action in three key areas: Advance women’s and girls’ rights, Fight relentlessly for women’s - Promote gender equality, Address systemic barriers - dismantle patriarchy, transform entrenched inequities, and elevate the voices of marginalized women and girls, including young people, to ensure inclusivity and empowerment. Foster empowerment: Redefine power structures by ensuring inclusive access to education, employment, leadership, and decision-making spaces. Prioritize opportunities for young women and girls to lead and innovate. Despite significant progress for women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, the world is experiencing new and overlapping crises and the erosion of rights. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #8March, #InternationalWomensDay, #IWD2025, #Investinwomen, #accelerateprogress, #womensrights.

EVENTS: This March 8th, Join us in celebrating International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme “For all Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”. Register to participate!

On March 6th, starting at 00.00 a.m. (midnight) ET; Launch of the ’ Women's Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing’’ report; Ahead of the International Women’s Day on March 8, the report reveals urgent trends shaping the global state of women’s and girls’ rights, based on the submissions by 159 countries to the UN Secretary-General. The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action comes at a time of mounting global crises, from economic instability and the climate emergency to democratic erosion and backlash against gender equality. In a unique survey, UN Member States took stock of their progress on gender equality, with a significant portion reporting that backlash on gender equality is hampering their implementation of critical policies including those addressing gender-based violence. To set-up an embargoed interview or received an embargoed copy of the report and media materials, please email: [ Click to reveal ]

On March 6th, starting at 7 p.m. ET; Launch of the “Girl Goals: What has changed for girls? Adolescent girls’ rights over 30 years” joint report by UNICEF, UN Women and Plan International. Despite significant achievements, millions of adolescent girls across the world today are still out of school, ill-equipped for the future, facing gaps in life-saving health services, and at risk of harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, violence and abuse. The report reviews how adolescent girls’ lives have changed in the last 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. To set-up an embargoed interview or received an embargoed copy of the report and media materials, please email: [ Click to reveal ]

At the United Nations General Assembly Hall in UNHQ; On March 7th, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, will be held the commemoration of the 50th International Women’s Day hosted by the UN Women. The event will be moderated by Sade Baderinwa, Anchor, ABC Eyewitness News. A defining moment of the event will be a special Broadway cast performance from the Tony Award-winning SUFFs the Musical on the suffragists’ battle for the right to vote. Please reach out to [ Click to reveal ] if you are interested in an interview with the UN Women experts; Participants in the official commemoration event or Other activists for women’s rights; For media accreditation to attend events at UN premises, ensure you have prior authorization; details are available on our media page. For more information on why Beijing+30 matters, check out our explainer and other editorial content. To join the online conversation, check out our social media package. Registration is mandatory if you wish to attend in person (register HERE before Friday, 28 February 2025) or you can Watch the livestream!

At the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025. The sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place. In 2025, the global community will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995). The Representatives of Member States, United Nations entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world are invited to contribute to the session. The main focus of the CSW69/Beijing+30 session will be on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. The review will include an assessment of current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and its contribution towards the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. States are called upon to undertake comprehensive national-level reviews of the progress made and challenges encountered. The regional commissions of the United Nations are invited to undertake regional reviews and convene regional intergovernmental meetings. These will feed into the sixty-ninth session of the Commission. The outcome documents of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women are the Political declaration on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (DRAFT) and the Multi-year programme of work of the Commission on the Status of Women (DRAFT). The Commission's two-weeks session includes the following activities (CSW69 Side events & Session outcomes). Explore Proposed Organization of Work!

Monday, 10 March

9.30am – Celebratory opening
10am–1pm – Opening of the session
Election of officers (Item 1)
Adoption of the provisional agenda and other organizational matters (Item 2)
Ministerial segment (Item 3) – Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”.
Opening statements.
Introduction of reports.
Adoption of draft political declaration.
General discussion (Item 3).
Note: The deadline for registration on the list of speakers for the general discussion is 1 pm on 10 March 2025.
3–6pm – Ministerial segment (Item 3)

High-level interactive dialogue with regional commissions – Outcomes of regional reviews of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and next steps

Tuesday, 11 March

10am–1pm – Ministerial segment (Item 3)
Round table 1: National mechanisms for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls: recommitting to, resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, also with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
3–6pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continued)

Wednesday, 12 March

10am–1pm – Ministerial segment (Item 3)
Round table 2: National mechanisms for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls: recommitting to, resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, also with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
3–6pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continued)

Thursday, 13 March

10am–1pm – Ministerial segment (Item 3)
High-level interactive dialogue – Accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: the role of the Commission on the Status of Women
3–6pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continued)

Friday, 14 March

10am–1pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continued)
1pm – Deadline for submission of draft proposals under agenda item 3 to the Secretariat
3–6pm – Ministerial segment (Item 3)

High-level interactive dialogue – “Beijing@30”: a dialogue with youth representatives

Note: The Bureau recommends that the ministerial segment conclude on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 6pm.

Second week

Monday, 17 March

10am–1pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continued)
3–4.30pm – Interactive dialogue – Inclusive development, shared prosperity and decent work
4.30–6pm – Interactive dialogue – Poverty eradication, social protection and social services

Tuesday, 18 March

10–11.30am – Interactive dialogue – Freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes
11.30am–1pm – Interactive dialogue – Participation, accountability and gender-responsive institutions
3–6pm – Interactive dialogue – Accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: the role of the Commission on the Status of Women

Wednesday, 19 March

10~10.15am – Communications concerning the status of women (Item 4) – Consideration of the report of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women (closed meeting)

~10.15am–1pm – General discussion (Item 3) (continuation and conclusion)
3–4.30pm – Interactive dialogue – Environmental conservation, protection and rehabilitation
4.30–6pm – Interactive dialogue – Peaceful and inclusive societies

Thursday, 20 March

No formal meetings to take place

Friday, 21 March from 10am–1pm
Negotiations on the multi-year programme of work (if needed) –

• Introduction of draft proposals (Item 3)
• Action on draft proposals (Item 3)
• Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions (Item 5)
• Provisional agenda for the seventieth session of the Commission (Item 6)
• Adoption of the report of the Commission on its sixty-ninth session (Item 7)
• Closure of the sixty-ninth session
• Opening of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women
• Election of the Bureau of the seventieth session

Parallel events organized by NGOs are coordinated by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW/NY), which is a group of New York–based women’s NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. For more information on the NGO CSW69 Forum and on NGO parallel events. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by Council resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women's rights, documenting the reality of women's lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Register to participate to the CSW69 Sessions!

STATEMENTS: Read the Secretary-General of the United Nations Statement on International Women’s Day 2025; March 8th. and the UNFPA Executive-Director Statement on International Women’s Day 2025; March 8th.

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness; March 5th.

FORUM: "The history, success and challenges of Nuclear disarmament education." International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2025. Since the founding of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation in conventional weapons and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons jeopardizes international peace and security and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is seriously endangering civilians. New and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, pose a challenge to global security and have received increased attention from the international community in recent years. Why Do You think disarmament is important, Join the conversation on nuclear disarmament education. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #IDDNPA2025, #Disarmament, #disarmamentawarenessday, #5march, #nonproliferationawarenessday #VCS, #peaceandsecurity.

EVENTS: Activities to Commemorate the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Day 2025. on and around March 5th. Registration.

On March 5st, 2025: Side-event on “The History, Success, and Challenges of Nuclear Disarmament Education” - The Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (Cornell University), the Permanent Mission of Kyrgyzstan to the United Nations, and the Office for Disarmament Affairs will be organizing a special lunchtime event marking the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness at UNHQ on March 5th. The title of the event is “The History, Success, and Challenges of Nuclear Disarmament Education.” The goal is for the attendees to hear from experts in the nuclear disarmament and education fields, to strategize on how best to inspire and educate students, and to ensure that students, especially from schools with less access to nuclear disarmament education, have an equal opportunity to study nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. This event will also explore the gap between those creating educational resources on nuclear disarmament and the intended beneficiaries, as well as those involved in curriculum development. The panelists will represent a broad cross section of experts in the field disarmament education.

On 18 March 2025: Vienna Conversation Series event youth empowerment for disarmament - This Vienna Conversation Series event, planned in cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic, commemorates the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness by underscoring the essential role of a diverse range of actors in promoting disarmament education, with a focus on youth engagement and empowerment. It will highlight new learning opportunities offered by UNODA and promote peer-to-peer exchange of experience to promote diverse applications to various UNODA programmes. The event also seeks to support the new calls for applications of UNODA learning programmes and boost their visibility among Member States, Vienna-based organizations, civil society, and, particularly youth groups, to ensure diverse applications. See additional information.

From 5 to 6 March 2025: Visibility among the Vienna community - The Office for Disarmament Affairs’ (ODA) Vienna Office will be kicking off a series of activities to mark the International Day. There will be an exhibition booth at the Rotunda of the Vienna International Center, featuring educational materials on the human cost of weapons and an interactive game on disarmament facts and fiction. Social media efforts, including promotion of ODA's e-learning opportunities, will continue during the week.

From 5 March to 13 April: Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons launches Call for Applications - The Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with the generous support of the Government of Japan, is pleased to announce the launch of the second Call for Applications for the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF). Following the successful completion of Phase I, UNODA is seeking to select the next 100 young leaders from around the world to participate in an innovative online learning programme. Fifty of these participants will be given the opportunity to travel to Japan for a week-long study visit to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. During this visit, they will meet with hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings), engage with other youth advocates, and gain firsthand insight into the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons. Notably, Phase II of the programme is particularly focused on communication and storytelling as powerful tools for advocacy. The programme aims to bring together a diverse and geographically representative group of advocates for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, aged 18 to 29. The Call for Application closes on 13 April. For further details, please visit Disarmament Education Dashboard.

TRAINING: Enroll in the Gender and disarmament courses - UN Women training centre.

Statement of the Secretary-General for the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2025; March 5th.

Humanity’s future depends on investing in the machinery of peace, not the machinery of war.

Yet global tensions are increasing, the nuclear threat is rising, and guardrails are eroding. Meanwhile, small arms and light weapons are proliferating, and rapidly evolving technologies like Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing are deepening the dangers.

On this International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, I urge leaders to strengthen the systems and tools that prevent the proliferation, testing and use of deadly weapons and live up to their disarmament obligations.

I also call for a concerted effort in meeting the disarmament commitments contained in the recently adopted Pact for the Future. These commitments include working towards a world free of nuclear weapons, and new strategies to prevent the use of chemical and biological weapons, and to address the weaponization of outer space and the use of lethal autonomous weapons.

It’s time for leaders to put words into action, and invest in disarmament solutions and the peaceful future every person deserves.

United Nations Secretary-General.

World Hearing Day 2025; March 3rd.

FORUM: “Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!” World Hearing Day 2025. Globally, over 80% of ear and hearing care needs remain unmet. Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual cost of nearly US$1 trillion globally. Deeply ingrained societal mis-perceptions and stigmatizing mindsets are key factors that limit efforts for preventing and addressing hearing loss. Changing mindsets related to ear and hearing care is crucial to improving access and mitigating the cost of unaddressed hearing loss. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual cost of $980 billion each year. This is the cost incurred due to the impact of hearing loss without rehabilitation access, including productivity losses and social exclusion. This year’s theme builds upon the 2024 focus on changing mindsets towards ear and hearing care. We invite individuals of all ages to empower themselves to ensure healthy ears and hearing for themselves and others, with thIs year theme. By encouraging individuals to recognize the importance of ear and hearing health, this campaign aims to inspire people to change behaviour to protect their hearing from loud sounds and prevent hearing loss, to explain Why regular hearing tests are essential to check their hearing regularly, use hearing devices if needed, and support those living with hearing loss. Empowered individuals can drive change within themselves and in society at large. You can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout life. Follow the conservation with the hashtags: #worldhearingday; #hearingcare. #3march.

 

EVENTS: On March 3rd, to mark the World Hearing Day 2025; The Member States, partners and stakeholders will organize a webinar to raise awareness in communities, in order to address mis-perceptions around ear and hearing problems and ensure accessible ear and hearing care. The event will mark the launch of the WHO-ITU Global standard for safe listening in video game play and sports and the launch of the School module on smart listening, for inclusion into educational programs. It is an opportunity for all of us to make a difference. As stakeholders, partners, and advocates, we can collectively empower ourselves and others. As part of activities promoting World Hearing Day, the World Hearing Forum (WHF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coalition for Global Hearing Health (CGHH) invite proposals for WHF-CGHH Small Grants for World Hearing Day 2025. Kindly register to participate to events to get global visibility. The event information will be made available to a wider global audience.

EXHIBITS: Changing mindsets is essential to making ear and hearing care accessible. Through this photo exhibition and related stories, the World Health Organization and the World Hearing Forum draws attention to the positive impact of timely identification and management of ear and hearing problems in order to correct existing mis-perceptions and change damaging mindsets.

PUBLICATIONS: This planning guide provides a basic and practical framework for any person or organization interested in observing World Hearing Day to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care (EHC) at national and community levels across the world. The guide is a resource for those working in the field of ear and hearing care. It has been prepared to provide you with the World Hearing Day branding and key messages and introduce you to the resources for the development of your campaign. Use it to get involved with World Hearing Day and encourage others to join the global campaign. By uniting our efforts, we can help make ear and hearing care a worldwide priority issue. Read the Primary ear and hearing care training manual.

RESEARCH: This paper provides insights into the requirements and expectations of people with hearing loss in engagement with connected devices at home, derived from a questionnaire and a stakeholder workshop, and supported by relevant literature. Whether they like it or not, people with hearing loss may depend on a hearing person or technologies (e.g. hearing aid and voice recognition to text) to communicate and interact with the hearing world. While technology intervention can reduce needs for help from hearing people, it inevitably increases dependency on technologies. This can lead to people with hearing loss feeling out of control, especially when communication technologies do not function as expected, often without any back-up, failsafe or contingency plans. Without reliable technologies – mainstream and/or specialist – to bridge the gap between visual- and voice-based (oral) communications, people with hearing loss are at risk of isolation and exclusion.

1. Living with Hearing Loss in a Connected Home: White Paper from the UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)
2. Induced Hearing Deficit Generates Experimental Paranoia: The development of paranoid reactions was investigated in normal people experiencing a temporary loss of hearing. Research from AAAS Science.
3. Rescue of autosomal dominant hearing loss by in vivo delivery of mini dCas13X-derived RNA base editor; Research from AAAS Science.

PROJECTS: Overview of Global Projects in Specific regions.

STATEMENTS: Read the full Message from the WHO Director-General on World Hearing Day 2025; March 3rd.

World Widlife Day 2025; March 3rd.

FORUM: ”Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” World Wildlife Day 2025. The year also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1975. With more than 1 million species now estimated to be threatened with extinction amid the intensifying triple planetary crisis, innovative finance for wildlife conservation has never been more urgent. Over half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on nature, making biodiversity loss an increasing threat to financial stability and livelihoods. Building on a collaborative spirit, the events will serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, showcasing solutions and advancing wildlife conversation on how innovative finance can contribute to halting biodiversity loss, raising the interest of private sector stakeholders to invest in wildlife conservation, and creating a sustainable future. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #TechForWildlife, #3March, #WorldWildlifeDay, #DigitalInnovation, #WWD2025, #wildlifeconservationfinance.

EVENTS: At UNHQ in New York, NY, United States of America. On March 3rd, the 50th anniversary of CITES and the World Wildlife Day 2025 will be celebrated under the critical theme of “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet”. The event will showcase key global initiatives in wildlife finance. For example, the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works to demonstrate how nature-positive economies can work for people and the planet; the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) established by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to help countries achieve the Targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework; the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which works to increase access to climate finance for biodiversity rich (and other) developing countries; the Biodiversity Credit Alliance which works to facilitate the transition to a nature positive economy; as well as other initiatives.

At the Palais des Nations on Monday, March 3rd; From 10:00AM-12:00PM Central European Time. The WWD2025 main celebration event in Geneva will highlight innovative financial mechanisms for wildlife conservation and share actionable pathways to mobilize the financial resources for investing in the future of our planet. The event will showcase the efforts on innovative financing of financial institutions, such as Building Bridges, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the World Economic Forum. Participants will explore Wildlife Conservation Finance and how to better invest in people and planet To mark the World Wildlife Day 2025, the CITES Secretariat will leverage the expertise, knowledge, and creativity of key stakeholders through collaborative partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jackson Wild, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw), WILDLABS, the Geneva Environment Network, and other organizations. This event will feature a musical performance with medicinal plants, an expert panel discussion on the 2025 theme, statements from Member States, the announcement of the winner of the International Youth Art Contest, and a trailer premiere of the 2025 Jackson Wild Film Showcase. The World Wildlife Day International Youth Art Contest and the winners will be presented during the high-level event. Congratulations in advance to the winner of the annual WWD Poster Contest!. On and around March 3rd, many side-events, seminars, workshops and excursions will be held worldwide; Explore the map of WWD2025 celebrations around the world. Get the Agenda Programme; register to participate and watch the livestream!

At UN Geneva, from 3–8 February 2025; the 78th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee was held. The CITES SC78 reviewed the reports of the Plants and Animals Committees July 2024 meetings, where members discussed emerging operational issues; cooperation with other multilateral environmental agreements and international organizations; the transport of live specimens; specimens produced through biotechnology; and the role of CITES in reducing the risk of potential zoonotic disease emergence associated with international wildlife trade.. It preceded the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP20) from 24 November – 5 December 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Convention’s entry into force. In addition to these issues, the Standing Committee considered:

1. arrangements for the 20th meeting of the CoP, including a draft provisional agenda and draft work programme;
2. the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities;
3. non-detriment findings for specimens of Appendix-II species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction;
4. trade in medicinal and aromatic plants;
5. demand reduction to combat illegal trade;
6. an assessment of the practicalities of the CoP12 decision that the Convention should apply to fungi; and
7. an information system for trade in specimens of CITES-listed tree species.

Delegates have celebrated achievements, like the dramatic recovery of the saiga antelope. But their agenda with over 127 working documents across 87 agenda items containing more than 200 draft decisions could not be completed, illustrating a growing gap between the Convention’s workload and resources. Read the summary report of the meeting!




STATEMENTS: Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World wildlife Day 2025; march 3rd.

• Statement by the CITES Secretary-General, Mme Ivonne Higuero for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the UNDP Administrator, Mr Achim Steiner for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd; Statement by the Secretary-General of the Convention on Wetlands; Mme. Musonda Mumba for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the Executive Secretary of the ICW, Mme Martha Rojas Urrego For World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the UNCTAD Secretary; Mme Rebeca Grynspan for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the Director General of the WOAH, Mme Monique Eloit For World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the UNEP FI; Mr Eric Usher for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the CBD Executive secretary; Mme Astrid Schomaker for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd;
• Statement by the World Heritage Centre Director, Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo for World Wildlife Day 2025, March 3rd.

Watch the celebration of World Wildlife Day 2025 at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of World Wildlife Day is "Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet."

World Seagrass Day 2025; March 1st.

FORUM: “Act to protect the first defense along the coasts.” World Seagrass Day 2025. Seagrass ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, climate change, and natural disasters, putting the marine life that depends on them at risk. In recent years, however, the global movement to conserve these vital ecosystems has gained significant momentum. Seagrasses have been declining globally since the 1930s, with the most recent census estimating that 7% of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year. It was recently noted that 21% of seagrass species are categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable and Endangered Species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The combined pressures of coastal development, pollution, including land-based run-off, climate change, dredging and unregulated fishing and boating activities are key drivers of the degradation of seagrasses and their associated ecosystems. Seagrass improve water quality by filtering, cycling and storing nutrients and pollutants, reducing contamination in seafood. The benefits from conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can also help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals. Given the carbon storage and sequestration capacity of seagrass ecosystems, including them in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can help nations achieve their targets under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Inclusion of seagrass ecosystems in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is also critical for protecting the integrity of marine ecosystems and biodiversity. The Restoration of seagrasses also provides countries with opportunities to achieve commitments to be made to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #BlueTransformation, #savingseagrass, #Seagrass, #worldSeagrassesDay, #1march.

EVENTS: On March 1st, to mark the World Seagrass Day 2025, a virtual event will be held to find the ways to save seagrass meadows by UN Environment programme. Register to participate!

EXHIBITS: The IORA Indian Ocean Blue Carbon Hub is holding a photography competition to highlight the seagrasses extraordinary ecosystems.

PUBLICATIONS:

• The Seagrass ecosystems as green urban infrastructure to mediate human pathogens in seafood.
• 10 golden rules for restoration to secure resilient and just seagrass social-ecological systems.

Zero Discrimination Dy 2025; March 1st.

FORUM: “We stand together.” Zero Discrimination Day 2025. Community healthcare and support providers are too often faced with challenges—stigma, discrimination, criminalization, funding cuts, and political backlash—despite their primary role in ensuring that health services reach everyone in need, including the most vulnerable. Compounding this, the current crisis caused by the shift in U.S. government funding has resulted in deep anxiety and pain for many community organizations as the future of life-saving community-led HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support programmes are at risk, despite the clear evidence of the positive impact of community-led services. Community led services are essential to the sustainability of the AIDS response up to and beyond 2030, yet community-led responses are too often unrecognized, under-resourced and in some places even under attack. Crackdowns on civil society and on the human rights of marginalized communities are obstructing communities from providing HIV prevention and treatment services. The underfunding of community-led initiatives is leaving them struggling to continue operating as well as holding them back from expanding. If these obstacles are removed, community-led organizations can add even greater impetus to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The sustainability of the AIDS response now and into the future is critical with communities at the centre. It’s time Now to reaffirm global commitment to their leadership. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #March1, #zerodiscriminationday, #Zerodiscrimination.

EVENTS: March 1st; To observe the Zero Discrimination Day 2025 and its Eleventh edition, the UNAIDS is reflecting on Standing Together with communities. Communities are essential to the sustainability of the HIV response and to broader global health efforts. They must be financed and supported in their steadfast commitment to ensuring that all people living with and affected by HIV have access to the services they need and are treated with dignity and respect. On this year’s Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS calls on countries, donors and partners to fulfill their commitments and Stand Together to support communities as they work to build sustainable HIV responses by ensuring that:

• Community-led organizations are able to deliver life-saving services and advocate without discrimination or harassment.
• Community-led organizations can legally be registered in the country they are working in and receive sustainable funding.
• Communities are supported in providing health services to vulnerable and marginalized groups.
• Communities are supported and funded in work to monitor respect for human rights including ending the criminalization of key populations, stigma and discrimination and gender inequalities.
• Government health services include community representatives within their structures as partners in the development, implementation and monitoring of health programmes to ensure they are accessible and acceptable to people living with HIV and marginalized populations.

On March 1st, and across the whole month of March, events, activities and messages will remind the world of this vital lesson and call to action: to protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights. The EU region and partner countries have addressed HIV-related rights violations, societal barriers, including laws and policies, stigma and discrimination that fuels the AIDS pandemic. To date, 29 countries, none of which are EU member states, have joined the Global Partnership on assisting countries in achieving the 10–10–10 targets by removing laws that harm and creating laws that empower. Register to participate!

STATEMENTS: “Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and to secure a safer, fairer, kinder, and happier world – for everyone.” Message from Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, on Zero Discrimination Day 2025, March 1st.

“The only way to end AIDS is by working together with communities. They build trust and reach people which many traditional health facilities find hard to reach—the most marginalized, and people who face stigma and discrimination,” said Mme Christine Stegling, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director. “To end AIDS by 2030, sustained investment and support for community-led responses is crucial.”

“No society can thrive where discrimination exists,” said Mr. Marc Angel, Vice President of the European Parliament and a long-time HIV activist. “Every right denied, every barrier imposed weakens us all. On Zero Discrimination Day, let’s make it clear: equality is not an option—it’s a necessity. We stand together.”

CAMPAIGN: Let's Stand Together with communities on the frontlines of the HIV response.