Representatives from UN member states, including some 150 heads of state and government, are in New York for the High-level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). They will attend a series of high-level conferences and hold bilateral meetings.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) — World leaders are gathering at the UN headquarters in New York this week to address pressing global issues like wars, poverty and climate change.
Representatives from UN member states, including some 150 heads of state and government, are in New York for the High-level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). They will attend a series of high-level conferences and hold bilateral meetings.
The 80th UNGA session, under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” comes at a pivotal moment to renew global commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and shared action for people and planet. This year’s High-level Week highlights the urgency of delivering on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals and reinvigorating global cooperation.
Four major events are scheduled for Monday: the High-level Meeting to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations, the SDG Moment, the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, and the High-level Meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
At the General Debate, the annual meeting of heads of state and government at the beginning of the General Assembly session, world leaders will make statements outlining their positions and priorities in the context of complex and interconnected global challenges.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene a Climate Summit to serve as a platform for world leaders to present their new national climate action plans and seize the benefits of the new clean energy era. Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, the Summit will focus on demonstrating commitment and accelerating action to protect people and the planet in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The First Biennial Summit for a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Global Economy will also be held on Wednesday to serve as a platform to unite multilateral efforts and the international financial system around shared goals for sustainable development.
The two summits will be followed by the High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being, the High-level Meeting to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, and the High-level Meeting to Launch the Global Dialogue on AI Governance on Thursday.
Then there will be the High-level Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on Friday, and the High-level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar on Sept. 30.
At a press conference last week following the start of the 80th session of the UNGA, Guterres said thousands of leaders’ meetings would take place during the High-level Week, and he himself would hold over 150 bilateral meetings.
“Some call it the World Cup of diplomacy. But this cannot be about scoring points — it must be about solving problems,” Guterres told journalists.
“We are gathering in turbulent — even uncharted — waters,” with geopolitical divides widening, conflicts raging, impunity escalating, the planet overheating, new technologies racing ahead without guardrails, and inequalities widening by the hour, he said.
“UN week offers every possibility for dialogue and mediation. Every opportunity for forging solutions,” the UN chief said. ■
