The 79th Session of the UN General Assembly Kicks off in New York: What to Expect
New York City takes center stage again as the global diplomatic hub during this year’s 79th session of the UN General Assembly. From September 10-28, world leaders, policymakers, and international stakeholders will converge on the city for a series of high-level discussions and summits aimed at addressing the world's most urgent challenges. Robin Quinville, Director of the Global Europe Program, provides an overview of what to expect at this year’s UNGA. She covers the focus on Sustainable Development Goals, issues related to peace and security, global governance and the digital future, and how global leaders can foster international collaboration on these pressing global challenges. The 2024 UN General Assembly will feature three key events: the Summit of the Future (September 22-23), the General Debate (September 24-28, 30), and the High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise (September 25).
Transcript of Video
The 79th Session of the UN General Assembly Kicks off in New York: What to Expect
So this year's UNGA has the Summit for the Future. Last year, UNGA had focus on the Sustainable Development Goals themselves. And that was an opportunity to take stock. Because last year you were halfway. And these goals are due to be reached by 2030. And that's just a few years away. So we still have quite a ways to go.
It's a stock-taking opportunity, right? And that's why you see within the Summit of the Future also still a sustained look at the Sustainable Development Goals and what needs to happen next.
They wanted to look at issues related to peace and security, to the digital future, to the future of youth and the next generation, and also of global governance.
So the summit for the future will really be an extraordinary event, looking at a variety of issues related to this and trying to bring public engagement into that.
This is a opportunity for leaders, especially during High-Level week, to meet together to brainstorm and discuss solutions, but also when they speak to highlight issues that are of major importance for their country. They can signal a shift in policy that they want to.
They can appeal for support in different areas. So a lot of the issues that are top headline issues, like the war between Russia and Ukraine, those will be key in the discussions at the UN.
All of this will be an opportunity also to try and build support with the global representation that is there at the UN. There will be some other areas where we see people pushing. For example, is there enough financial support for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals? How do we do this? Some countries want to highlight progress that they have made and work that they are doing in these areas.
There are very few places that have the breadth of the UN and and this particular forum.
And so leaders, policymakers, experts, they can mix. They can listen and they can talk to each other about solutions. And that is its singular value.
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Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
