The Week Ahead at the United Nations
The Week Ahead at the United Nations
31 October - 6 November 2026
(This document is for planning purposes only and is subject to change)
The Week Ahead is available online here:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/the-week-ahead-the-united-nations
To find out which events will be webcast, see:
https://webtv.un.org/en/schedule
You can also consult the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU) Media Alert, the UN Journal, the websites of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to find the latest information.
Saturday, 31 October
Today is World Cities Day.
Sunday, 1 November
In Fuzhou, China, UN Habitat will host the Global Observance of World Cities Day under the theme "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All", from 31st October to 2nd November.
Monday, 2 November
Today is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
At noon, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will hold a press briefing, broadcast live on UN Web TV.
At 12:45 p.m., there will be a press Briefing by Ambassador Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of November.
At 4 p.m., there will be a dialogue between civil society representatives and Ambassador Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of November.
In Geneva, the 80th Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will take place from 2nd to 13th November.
Also in Geneva, the 53rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group will take place from 2nd to 13th November 2026.
In Geneva, the 9th meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement is scheduled from 2nd to 13th November.
Also in Geneva, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will host the event: Protecting Health Care in Armed Conflict: From Legal Commitments to Access and Implementation.
In Paris, France, the 11th session of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council will take place from 2nd to 4th November.
In Kigali, Rwanda, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will host the 38th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 38) from 2nd to 6th November.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is expected to release its Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity.
Tuesday, 3 November
Today is UNESCO’s International Day for Biosphere Reserves.
At noon, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will hold a press briefing, broadcast live on UN Web TV.
In Geneva, the UN Information Service will hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.
At 3:00 p.m. CET, Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the Climate Change, Energy and Health Unit, WHO and Dr Frank Pega, Technical Officer, Climate Health Economics, Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, WHO, will brief journalists virtually om the release of the new WHO report on global benefits and costs of prioritized actions on climate change and health, and a curtain raiser on WHO and health at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) is expected to release the Report on Women in Business and Management.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is scheduled to release its Facts and Figures 2026 report.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is expected to release a Report on Weather and Climate Services for Ski Resorts.
Wednesday, 4 November
At 11:30 a.m., the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, together with the Fritz Ascher Society for Persecuted, Ostracized and Banned Art, and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, will host the event “Understanding Past Realities of the Holocaust: Photography versus Art”.
At noon, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will hold a press briefing, broadcast live on UN Web TV.
The guest at the Noon Briefing will be Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, following his briefing to the Security Council.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is expected to release the Adaptation Gap Report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to release the Report “Global benefits and costs of prioritized actions on climate change and health”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to release the Global Report on neglected tropical diseases 2026.
Thursday, 5 November
Today is World Tsunami Awareness Day.
Today is UNESCO’s World Day of Romani Language.
Today is UNESCO’s International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, including Cyberbullying.
At 8:00 a.m., Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director, Water, World Bank Group, Laura Veronica Imburgia, Lead Author of 2026 World Water Development Report and Programme Specialist, UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme and Stephanie Rambler, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will brief journalists virtually ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.
At noon, there will be a hybrid press briefing by Melissa Summers, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly.
This will be followed by the Spokesperson's daily news briefing, broadcast live on UN Web TV.
The guest at the Noon Briefing will be Lila Pieters Yahia, UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal.
At 4:00 p.m., the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will co-host an event at the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day called “Theme: Be Tsunami Ready: Resilience starts with you”.
In Geneva, the 15th Meeting of the Task Force on Target Setting and Reporting, under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe Protocol on Water and Health, will take place on 5 and 6 November.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is expected to release the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance Annual Progress Report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to release new global estimates on physical activity among adolescents aged 11–17 years, examining trends over time, differences between girls and boys, and disparities across countries.
Friday, 6 November
Today is the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.
At noon, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will hold a press briefing, broadcast live on UN Web TV.
The guest at the Noon Briefing will be Bruno Lemarquis, UN Deputy Special Representative and Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan.
In Geneva, the UN Information Service will hold its bi-weekly briefing for journalists.
At 1:00 p.m. CET, the World Health Organization (WHO) will host a webinar on the launch of new WHO estimates on adolescent physical activity to be published in The Lancet Global Health, providing the first major update since 2016.