The General Assembly opens its 78th session on 5 September, at 3pm local time in New York. The President, his Excellency Dennis Francis, of Trinidad and Tobago, will guide the workings of the General Assembly under the overarching theme of “Peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability”. The 78th session will focus on the sustainable development goals, “objectives whose successful accomplishment would open up the possibilities of a world of boundless opportunity, in which nations and people live in harmony with each other and in harmony with nature.”
The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the main UN platform for the follow-up and review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), holds a ministerial segment (17-20 July) to build momentum towards the 2023 SDG Summit in September. Ministers, high-level representatives, as well as other intergovernmental organizations, UN system entities, major groups, and other stakeholders will have the chance to exchange experiences, lessons learned, policy guidance, transformative actions, and initiatives to accelerate our blueprint for a better world by 2030.
Neurotechnology is a fast-expanding field dedicated to understanding the brain and creating technologies that interact with it. In the medical realm, where neurotechnology has been well regulated, it has proved to have great potential to improve the lives and well-being of people affected by paralysis, neurological disorders, and mental illnesses, including depression. UNESCO has hence organized an International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology to further assess neurotechnology’s immense potential in addition to its ethical challenges to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We have less than 10 years to solve the United Nations SDGs and AI holds great promise to advance many of the goals and targets. The AI for Good Global Summit is the leading action-oriented UN platform promoting AI to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities. AI for Good is organized by ITU – the UN specialized agency for information and communication technology – in partnership with 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the government of Switzerland. The hybrid event takes place on 6-7 July in Geneva.
Advances in science and technology are taking place at an unprecedented rate, yet transformative developments in a wide range of fields can also pose risks to society. It has become more important than ever to monitor opportunities and risks posed by advances in science and technology for the biosecurity regime. Three United Nations entities: UNIDIR, UNODA, and WHO, bring us a stakeholder conference to stimulate the exchange of ideas and thinking around how to build biosecurity and bolster biological disarmament. This hybrid event takes place on 4 - 5 July, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm CEST in Geneva.
Even though there is a timid improvement, the aviation sector faces a clear gender gap, especially in technical areas and leadership positions. Women holding positions as pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians represent just 4.9% of the aviation sector, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Global Aviation Gender Summit 2023 (5-7 July, Madrid) is intended to call all stakeholders to work together to dismantle the barriers women and girls face and explore the enablers and solutions to achieving gender equality in aviation.
In response to the rapid emergence of new and powerful AI tools, UNESCO held the first global meeting to explore the immediate and far-reaching opportunities, challenges and risks of AI in education.
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent holds its second session on 30 May to 2 June 2023 under the theme: “Realizing the Dream: A UN Declaration on the promotion, protection and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent”. Towards this end, the discussions will focus on human rights concerns of people of African descent on issues such as global reparatory justice; Pan-Africanism for dignity, justice, and peace; transnational migration; recognizing and addressing systemic and structural racism; and health, well-being, and intergenerational trauma.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (15-26 April) is a high-level advisory body that provides expert advice, raises awareness on indigenous issues, and promotes the full application of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum celebrates a yearly meeting since 2002 to discuss socioeconomic issues concerning indigenous communities. This twenty-third session will take place at UN Headquarters in New York and will focus on improving the self-determination rights of Indigenous people with a focus on the perspectives of Indigenous youth.
It 1982, the military regime surrounded the village of Nebaj, where Izabel Lopez Raymundo lived in Guatemala. They set fire to the houses; shot a man; the son trying to protect the family was also shot. The mother, with a baby on her back, was shot close range. The bullet killed the mother but lodged in the baby’s body. A soldier took the baby and placed her in an orphanage. The baby, now grown, is Lopez. She has a scar on her chest where the bullet went in. Lopez told her story during the recent session of the OHCHR Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED).
The evolving threat posed by terrorist and violent extremist groups require multi-faceted, agile, collaborative and innovative approaches by stakeholders at the international, national and community levels. Engaging with diverse partners and embracing openness to a multitude of perspectives is fundamental to responding to the complex challenges posed by terrorism and violent extremism. On Tuesday the Security Council will hold an open debate on cooperation between UN and regional organizations in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, without distinction of any kind, including that of race. The Human Rights Council convenes today to debate the urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination 75 years after the adoption of the UDHR. The discussion gathers activists fighting against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia to share their experience, expertise and recommendations on how to address some of the most pressing challenges and obstacles. Watch on UN WebTV.
Governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector will get together for the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) from 27 to 31 March 2023. Acting as a forum for strategic planning, sharing lessons learned and best practices, the CSTD holds an annual discussion on issues affecting science, technology and development. The current session focuses on two priority themes: technology and innovation for cleaner and more productive and competitive production; and ensuring safe water and sanitation for all.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine crosses the one-year mark, on 24 February the Security Council holds an open debate on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine. According to the Secretary-General, the Russian invasion is inflicting untold suffering on the Ukrainian people, with profound global implications. Recently, the United Nations appealed for $5.6 billion to help millions of people affected inside the country and beyond. Joint efforts and continued support will enable partners inside Ukraine and refugee host countries to reach millions of people with protection services. Watch a video on the UN's response.
Since 1975, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People has strongly supported the objective of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognised borders. The Committee continues to heighten international awareness of all aspects of the question of Palestine and promote international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people. On 22 February the Committee holds its first meeting of the year, presided over by the Secretary-General, the Committee will elect its Bureau and approve its programme of work for 2023.