UNITED NATIONS, New York: The United Nations General Assembly returns, with more vigour than ever before.
After navigating three years of virtual and hybrid gatherings during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there's an electric anticipation surrounding this apex event in the UN's calendar.
Amidst the unprecedented challenges posed by extreme poverty, climate change, and the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, compounded by great power tensions and global conflicts, the stage is set.
The 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) officially convened on Tuesday, Sept 5, 2023. The pinnacle of this event, known as High-Level Week, when the most consequential discussions unfold, will take place from Sept 18 to 26. Preceding and following this, additional sessions will be held.
Also, in the days ahead, delegates and world leaders, who may not have previously shared the limelight on television or in the media, will be securing meeting rooms for bilateral discussions on various pivotal matters.
Here, we spotlight key focal points for the week, including the SDG Summit and the prominent global leaders who will seize the centre stage at this year's UNGA 78.
SDG SUMMIT 2023: A CRUCIAL TURNING POINT
The SDG Summit on Sept 18 to Sept 19 will be a defining moment for Heads of State and Government to deliver the bold commitments needed to urgently put the world back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, an agreed plan of action adopted by the international community in 2015 to achieve a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
With only seven years remaining for the implementation of the Goals, only 15 per cent of SDG targets are on track to being achieved. Alarmingly, it is also projected that over 500 million people will still be mired in extreme poverty by the year 2030.
Against this somber backdrop, the Summit represents an opportunity for all segments of society to accelerate SDG action. World leaders are anticipated to pledge national commitments towards SDG transformation, encompassing the establishment of benchmarks for poverty and inequality reduction by 2027.
In addition to these national commitments, Heads of State and Government are also encouraged to deliver global commitments that would strengthen international cooperation and support for developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable countries.
A robust, negotiated political declaration, will be adopted at the opening of the Summit, which will provide clear guidance on the transformative, accelerated actions necessary to achieve a more sustainable world by 2030.
The opening of the Summit will also feature statements by the President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the Economic and Social Council Paula Narvaéz.
"The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development is in peril," said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Sunday.
"For the first time in decades, development progress is reversing under the combined impact of interconnected crises: climate disasters, conflict, economic downturn, debt distress and lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with developing countries most hardly hit.
"At the midpoint of winning or losing humanity's most important race, the SDG Summit is a vital opportunity to move from rhetoric to action," she said.
CLIMATE AMBITION SUMMIT: THE MOVERS AND DOERS
To accelerate action by governments, business, finance, local authorities and civil society, and hear from "first movers and doers," UN Secretary-General António Guterres is convening a Climate Ambition Summit on Sept 20.
The summit marks a critical political moment aimed at showcasing a unified global determination to accelerate the pace and magnitude of an equitable transition to a renewable-energy-driven, climate-resilient global economy.
Government leaders, especially major emitters, will be expected to present updated pre-2030 Nationally Determined Contributions, as agreed upon in Glasgow, along with revised net-zero targets, energy transition strategies pledging no new coal, oil, and gas projects, fossil fuel phase-out blueprints, more ambitious renewable-energy objectives, Green Climate Fund commitments, and comprehensive adaptation and resilience plans.
Furthermore, all major emitters, notably all G20 governments, will be called upon to commit to presenting, by 2025, even more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions encompassing absolute emissions reductions and addressing all greenhouse gases.
Leaders from governments, international and regional organisations, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society will showcase existing or emerging collaborative efforts targeting challenges and opportunities in hastening the decarbonisation of high-emission sectors such as energy, shipping, aviation, steel, and cement, as well as advancing climate justice through reforms in the international financial system, early warning systems, adaptation, and addressing loss and damage.
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT
The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, following closely on the heels of the SDG Summit, will offer political leadership and direction for the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – a UN framework designed to mobilise resources for SDG achievement.
It will also assess progress, recognise emerging challenges, and galvanise additional action.
PANDEMIC PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
The President of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, will lead a one-day meeting of Heads of State and Government on Sept 20.
At this High-Level meeting, leaders are expected to adopt a political declaration that aims to mobilise political will at national, regional, and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE
This High-Level meeting on Sept 21 presents an opportunity for countries and stakeholders to accelerate progress towards comprehensive health.
This will serve as a basis for implementing policies and ensuring responsibility for strengthening health systems for the future, building on the 2019 Political Declaration.
Malaysia's Health Minister, Zaliha Mustafa, is slated to address the gathering.
FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS
The General Assembly will host its second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on Sept 22 focusing on advancing science, finance and innovation for equitable global access to prevention, testing, treatment, and care.
It is aimed to undertake a comprehensive review on the achievement of agreed tuberculosis targets 2018 Political Declaration of the first General Assembly high level meeting on TB, and to identify gaps and solutions to accelerate progress towards ending the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030.
ZELENSKYY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be focal point of the media's coverage as he makes his first in-person appearance at the General Assembly High-Level Week since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He has secured a sought-after speaking slot during the opening morning of the Assembly's General Debate, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept 19.
This slot follows the traditional introductory statements by key figures including the new President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the US' President Joe Biden.
Ukraine will also be featured on the Security Council's agenda in a special high-level session titled, "Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine."
BRAZIL'S LULA DA SILVA: A CENTRAL FIGURE
Another prominent figure poised to capture significant interest is Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, the President of Brazil.
Given the absence of leaders from Russia, China, and India at the summit, Lula effectively represents the leading voices of major non-Western nations worldwide.
Moreover, he is a figure with whom the US can engage effectively.
BIDEN'S DIPLOMATIC AGENDA TAKES CENTRE STAGE
As the General Assembly gets underway this year, one of the most pressing questions, much like in the past two years, revolves around the high-profile meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the assembly.
Anticipated among these meetings is the first face-to-face encounter between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the latter returned to office.
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Meanwhile, NPR.org reported that Biden is set to become the first US leader to engage with counterparts from the five Central Asian nations collectively known as the "Stans" – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This gathering is expected to capture the attention of global powers, notably Russia and China.
Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, revealed that discussions during these meetings will encompass a wide array of crucial topics, spanning regional security, trade relations, climate initiatives, and governance concerns.
MALAYSIA TO ADDRESS THE WORLD ON SEPT 21
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is slated to address the General Assembly on the evening of Thursday, Sept 21.
GEARING UP FOR THE SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE
A ministerial gathering scheduled for Sept 21 is set to lay the foundation for the Summit of the Future, slated for Sept 22 - 23, 2024, in New York.
The UN Secretary-General aims to use this event as a catalyst for establishing a fresh global consensus to prepare the world for a future marked by both risks and opportunities.
Participants will delve into how the multilateral system can effectively address emerging global risks and challenges. They are expected to present tangible, ambitious recommendations to fortify and reshape the global system.
Member States are anticipated to come to a collective agreement on an action-oriented "pact for the future".
The forthcoming Summit is geared towards several key objectives, including reaffirming the United Nations Charter, revitalising multilateralism, enhancing the implementation of existing commitments, reaching consensus on practical solutions to pressing challenges, and rebuilding trust among Member States.
As outlined in a recent decision by the President of the General Assembly, the Summit of the Future will encompass a "Pact for the Future" with sections dedicated to Sustainable Development & Financing for Development, International Peace and Security, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Digital Cooperation, Youth and Future Generations, and Transforming Global Governance.
* NST specialist writer Tharanya Arumugam is a 2023 fellow of the United Nations Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship.