Everything the United Nations stands for and works for – peace, progress and human rights – has been shaken to the core by the coronavirus. As we strive to recover, international cooperation has never been more important. On its 75th anniversary, and amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, the UN will for the first time convene world leaders in a virtual format to seek solutions for a world in crisis. Several major events and the General Debate are expected to highlight action and solutions needed to secure healthy, peaceful and prosperous lives for all. Watch it unfold on UN Web TV. #UNGA

The General Assembly opens its historic 75th session on Tuesday, 15 September, at 3 p.m. EDT.

The Committee on Information holds its 42nd session virtually on 2 to 4 September 2020. This subsidiary body of the General Assembly is responsible for overseeing the work of the Department of Global Communications and for providing it with guidance on policies, programmes and activities, as well as evaluating its efforts.  The Department tells the UN story across multiple platforms, digital and traditional, to build support for the aims and work of the UN. It seeks to reach people with trusted and objective information to enable engagement in our work.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will meet virtually from 17 August to 4 September 2020. The Committee is a body of 18 independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The agenda includes updates on reports received from the parties to the Convention. The Committee will discuss how to strengthen cooperation between United Nations bodies and other stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities, in order to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The first-ever virtual SDG Media Zone is being held on the sidelines of this year’s High-level Political Forum. As we come together to take stock of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SDG Media Zone encourages the sharing of ideas for a sustainable recovery from COVID-19. Focusing on the power of science and solidarity, expert voices can help usher a healthier, more equitable and greener world. Since 2016, the SDG Media Zone brings together UN Member States, content creators, influencers, activists and media partners to highlight actions and solutions in support of the SDGs.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a global policy-making body dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. On 9 March the commission is holding a procedural meeting, opening its sixty-fourth session (CSW 64). The meeting will adopt the draft Political Declaration on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), committing to the full realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by 2030.

Palestinian and international experts will address the difficulties of life for Palestinians under the Israeli occupation and the need for global, and regional, political, legal, financial and popular support and action, at a conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 28-29 February. The conference, organized by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, seeks to foster relations between Southeast Asian civil society and Palestinian and international organizations. 

Building on the legacy of the International Year of Indigenous Languages (2019), UNESCO and the Government of Mexico, and other partners, are organizing a High-level event “Making a decade of action for indigenous languages” on the margins of the International Congress on Endangered Languages at Risk from 25 to 26 February 2020 in Mexico City. The main objective of the Congress is to establish a constructive dialogue to address the problem of threatened languages, based on experiences in favour of linguistic diversity and linguistic rights.

Cities are hubs for cultural, scientific and economic development, but they can also be stark reminders of the environmental and socio-economic challenges we face. Today, cities are responsible for some 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and consume 75 per cent of the world’s energy and resources. As the human population continues to grow and the planet faces unprecedented threats from climate change, there is a critical need for sustainable urban planning. The tenth World Urban Forum (WUF)—the foremost international gathering on sustainable urbanization established by the United Nations—focused on the intersection of culture and innovation to address emerging urban challenges.

The Special Committee on Decolonization was established in 1961 by the General Assembly as its subsidiary organ, to examine the application of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and to make suggestions and recommendations on the progress and extent of the implementation of the Declaration. It annually reviews the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories to which the Declaration is applicable. It also hears statements from representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories at its annual sessions, dispatches visiting missions to Non-Self-Governing Territories and organizes regional seminars. The committee opens its annual session this week.

Sweden is hosting the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety on 19–20 February 2020. The theme of the conference is Achieving Global Goals 2030. The event is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, and ministers from more than 80 countries are attending. Representatives of industry,  research and international organizations are also participating. The Conference is an opportunity for delegates to share successes and lessons from the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 and to chart future strategic directions for global road safety.

The ‘super year’ for biodiversity will kick off with the 13th session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Hosted by India from 15-22 February, the conference brings together parties to the convention, partners and scientific experts to address the alarming decline of migratory species, including birds, aquatic species and terrestrial animals. ‘Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home,’ an ancient Sanskrit saying and theme of the meeting, highlights the need to provide a hospitable place for migratory animals.

The World Urban Forum was established in 2001 by the United Nations to address one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. Convened by UN-Habitat, the Forum is a high level, open and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanization. The Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF 10) will be held from 8-13 February 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) meets from 10 to 28 February to discuss the reports of Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Eritrea, Kiribati, Latvia, Moldova, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

The ocean covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and is home to some 80% of all life in the world, making it the planet's largest biosphere. But the ocean is facing unprecedented threats as a result of human activities. In preparation for the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference, the General Assembly is convening a 2-day meeting to support SDG 14 - conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. The Conference will propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.