The 79th Session of the UN General Assembly Kicks off in New York: What to Expect

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.