Last year, both Hon. Ricardo Baptista Leite, UNITE’s President and Founder and UNITE Member from Paraguay, Hon. Pastor Vera Bejarano both had the opportunity to be in New York during the 78th UNGA.
Get to know their points of view on why they think parliamentarians should join their national to this year’s UNGA, taking place next month.
Background Information
The General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.
The UNGA also makes key decisions for the UN, including appointing the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Security Council, electing the non-permanent members of the Security Council and approving the UN budget.
The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. It discusses specific issues through dedicated agenda items or sub-items, which lead to the adoption of resolutions. During the High-level week each September, the United Nations hosts world leaders, policymakers, experts and advocates for key Summits and high-level events, as mandated by UNGA resolutions, and the United Nations Secretary-General.
The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. It discusses specific issues through dedicated agenda items or sub-items, which lead to the adoption of resolutions. During the High-level week each September, the United Nations hosts world leaders, policymakers, experts and advocates for key Summits and high-level events, as mandated by UNGA resolutions, and the United Nations Secretary-General.
UNITE would like to bring to your attention these key dates:
- September 10th: Opening of the 79th Session of the UNGA
- September 20th – 23rd: Summit of the Future
- September 20th & 21st: Action Days
- September 22nd & 23rd: Summit
- September 24th: First day of the High-Level General Debate of the 79th UNGA
- September 26th, 10:00 – 18:00 ET: High-Level meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
A United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) is convened by the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the primary decision-making body representing all 193 UN Member States. In this forum, Member States collaborate on a broad range of international issues outlined in the UN Charter, including development, peace and security, and international law. The decision to convene a HLM on a specific topic is made under exceptional circumstances through a UN resolution, aiming to facilitate agreement on cooperation measures and solutions to significant global challenges among Heads of State and governments.
Since the inaugural Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001, the UN has convened various HLMs focused on health issues, including HIV/AIDS (2006, 2011, 2016, 2021), Non-Communicable Diseases (2011, 2014, 2018), Antimicrobial Resistance (2016), Tuberculosis (2018, 2023), Universal Health Coverage (2019, 2023), and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (2023).
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses significant challenges to the sustainability and effectiveness of public health responses to communicable diseases and epidemics. It threatens the progress made in health and development, hindering the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given the escalating rates of AMR, there is an urgent need for action.
The 2024 High-Level Meeting (HLM) on AMR presents a historic opportunity to unite Member States and relevant stakeholders to address this critical issue. The political declaration to be adopted at this meeting will guide our collective efforts in tackling AMR moving forward.
The 2024 HLM on AMR was convened following the adoption of Resolution 76/257 on March 31st, 2022, titled ‘Global health and foreign policy: elevating pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response to the highest level of political leadership’. This resolution underscores the importance of addressing AMR within the context of global health and foreign policy, highlighting the need for coordinated and sustained political commitment.
The 2016 Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), adopted on September 22nd, 2016, marked a significant milestone in addressing AMR. This declaration led to the adoption of several commitments at national, regional, and global levels, establishing a robust framework for combating AMR. Building on this foundation, the objective of the upcoming High-Level Meeting (HLM) on AMR in 2024 is to adopt a second Political Declaration, enabling countries and other relevant stakeholders to accelerate progress in addressing AMR. The meeting, themed ‘Investing in the present and securing our future together: accelerating multi-sectoral global, regional, and national actions to address antimicrobial resistance’, will be convened by the President of the General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York on September 26th, 2024.
In preparation for this critical event, a one-day interactive Multi-Stakeholder Hearing was organized by the President of the General Assembly with support from the Quadripartite (FAO, UNEP, WHO, and WOAH) on May 15th, 2024. This hearing aimed to gather diverse views and perspectives on key aspects of addressing AMR to be included in the political declaration. UNITE was represented by its Global Board Members, Hon. Sonia Sidhu and Hon. Mariam Jashi, Read more here.
The proposal for a Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024 had its origin in the ‘Our Common Agenda report’ of the United Nations. That report was a response by the UN Secretary-General to a call from Member States for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges.
Effective global cooperation is increasingly critical to our survival but difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust, using outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities.
The ‘Common Agenda’ report called for a renewal of trust and solidarity at all levels – between peoples, countries and generations. It made the case for a fundamental rethink of our political, economic and social systems so that they deliver more fairly and effectively for everyone.
The report was designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral agreements – particularly the 2030 Agenda, with the ‘Summit of the Future’ as a defining moment to agree on the most critical improvements necessary. Member States also agreed that the Summit would have the ‘Pact for the Future’ as an outcome.
On 22 and 23 September 2024, world leaders will convene at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to adopt the ‘Pact for the Future’, which will include a ‘Global Digital Compact’ and a ‘Declaration on Future Generations’ as annexes. Zero drafts of these documents were released and are available online, together with revision documents and related letters. More info on the Summit of the Future here.
To generate additional opportunities for the engagement of all actors, and to elevate the voice of youth in the multilateral system, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is convening the Summit of the Future ‘Action Days’ on September 20th and 21st, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Bringing together representatives from Member States, civil society, private sector, academia, local and regional authorities, youth, and many more, the ‘Action Days’ will provide an opportunity for broad engagement and inclusion. These stakeholders have all played a key role in shaping the ‘Pact for the Future’ and will be critical to its implementation. In parallel to the ‘Action Days’, a limited number of high-level side events, organized by UN Member States, UN entities, relevant international organizations and stakeholder networks working in partnership and identified through an open call, will take place during the Summit of the Future ‘Action Days’ on September 20th and 21st only.
Key themes of the Action Days will be: ‘Digital Futures’ (digital and technology), ‘Peaceful Futures’ (peace and security), and ‘Sustainable Futures for All’ (sustainable development and financing). There will also be a dedicated focus throughout the day on future generations. More info on the Summit of the Future ‘Action Days’ is available here.
