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Here is what to expect from the United Nations’ 78th General Assembly

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Photo by Charlie Martin
Valentina Guerra
By Valentina Guerra

From Sept. 5th to Sept. 26th, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) will reconvene for its 78th session. Serving as the primary policy-making organ of the United Nations, the General Assembly will host all 193 UN Member States to discuss matters relevant to global sustainability.

The 78th Session will encompass the General Debate spanning from Sept. 19th to Sept. 26th, where Heads of State reunite to deliver speeches relevant to the priorities of their respective state in accordance with the theme of the debate. 

As stated by the president-elect of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, the overarching theme of UNGA78 will be “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” 

Simultaneously, various side events and High-level forums will take place as part of the 78th session. These include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, and High-level dialogues in areas of finance, climate action and others. 

From Sept. 18th to 19th, the SDG Summit will convene to review the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in September 2015 to combat global issues such as climate change, poverty and inequality. Currently at the halftime mark to accomplish the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the SDG Summit will strive to review global progress towards the goals while enticing states to recommit to the agenda. 

On Sept. 20th, the UNGA78 will host High-level dialogues on Financing for Development, Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, and a Climate Ambition Summit. These political forums will be followed on Sept. 21st by a Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Summit of the Future, as well as the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage. 

Last, a High-level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis will occur on Sept. 22nd, making it the second High-level UN meeting discussing tuberculosis. 

All upcoming UNGA meetings will go live on the UN Web TV Website. To hear the upcoming UNGA78 General Debate speeches live, click here. 

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