Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Priyanka Chopra are joining Michelle Obama and director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit.
The conference, which will be held virtually this year, will run from July 13 to 15.
At the event Obama will share a special message on behalf of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which is part of the Obama Foundation; while Markle will deliver the keynote speech.
Other speakers include Chopra; 2018 Nobel Peace Laureate, Nadia Murad; Nina Ansary, UN Women Global Champion for Innovation; Brazilian politician, Tabata Amaral; Mexican politician, Patricia Mercado; actress and activist, Storm Reid; humanitarian, Tererai Trent; actress Jameela Jamil; actress Monique Coleman; author and journalist, Liz Plank and speaker and activist, Wade A Davis.
UN "changemakers" and singers Chloe x Halle, Agnes Nunes and Bebe Rexha will also appear at the virtual event.
Also speaking are Facebook chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg; Mlambo-Ngcuka, director of UN Women and the Duchess of Sussex.
Girl Up was founded by the United Nations Foundation in 2010 with the mission of helping to achieve gender equality worldwide.
The conference will include three days of digital conversations, panel discussions and workshops. It is divided into six sections: advocacy, fundraising, organising, storytelling, Stem for Social Good and Taking Action with Girl Up.
The live programming on Monday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 14 will offer interpretation and captioning in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and English. The third day, Wednesday, July 15, will feature in-depth sessions and is called a "Day of Action".
The times that specific speakers will appear have not yet been announced, however the itinerary runs from 10am to 10.30pm EDT (6pm to 6.30am the following day GST) on both Monday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 14.
Meanwihile, on Wednesday, July 15, the in-depth sessions run from 12pm to 3pm EDT (8pm to 11pm GST).
It is free to register to attend. Youth attendees aged 13 to 25 get full access to programming, while adult supporters get limited access to programming. You can register here.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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