A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges

The seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly opens on 13 September under the theme, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.”

The theme stems from the recognition that the world is at a critical moment in the history of the United Nations – and so too are the Sustainable Development Goals due to complex and interconnected crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, humanitarian challenges of unprecedented nature, a tipping point in climate change as well as growing concerns about threats to the global economy. 

Finding joint solutions to these crises and building a more sustainable and resilient world for all and for the generations to come will be a key focus of deliberations. It is high time for the world to come together around solutions for sustainable development and accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals.

In Focus 

Additional Highlights

Transforming Education Summit| 16 - 19 September

Recognizing that education is a human right and a foundation for peace, tolerance, other human rights and sustainable development, the United Nations Secretary-General is convening world leaders for a Transforming Education Summit (TES) on Monday 19 September 2022, as a key milestone in the advancement of Our Common Agenda.

The Summit is a response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance. Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide. The Summit provides a unique opportunity to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions to recover pandemic-related learning losses and sow the seeds to transform education in a rapidly changing world.

The Summit will be preceded by a two-day segment focused on youth and solutions on Friday, 16 and Saturday, 17 September to scale up global support and action.

Summit Program

The Summit will be held from 16-19 September 2022. The Mobilization Day (16 September) will be youth-led and youth-organized and will involve the full participation of a wide range of stakeholders. The Solutions Day (17 September) will provide a platform for partners to mobilize support to launch or scale up initiatives connected to the Summit Thematic Action Tracks. Leaders Day (19 September) will be dedicated to the presentation of National Statements of Commitment by Heads of State and Government in the form of Leaders Roundtables. Read the programme outline, register here and watch online.

Join the conversation and spread the word!

SDG Moment | 19 September

The SDG Moment serves to place an annual spotlight on the Sustainable Development Goals and will be held at the beginning of the United Nation’s General Assembly’s High-Level Week. It takes place as the world faces a deepening cost-of-living crisis that carries huge implications for the advancement of the SDGs, especially in developing countries.

This year, the SDG Moment will take place in-person on Monday, 19 September 2022. This 90-minute event in the United Nations General Assembly Hall, will set the scene and lead into the Transforming Education Summit.

The SDG Moment will feature the SDG To-Do List for the world presented by the Secretary-General’s SDG Advocates Co-Chairs, a stocktaking moment and SDG Dialogues focused on solutions for inequalities and climate and environmental challenges. Watch livestream.

SDG Media Zone | 19-23 September

Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, the SDG Media Zone takes the conversation on advancing the 2030 Agenda out of the policy sphere and into the public discourse through impactful in-depth interviews and dialogues on global issues that matter to people everywhere.

This year’s SDG Media Zone will highlight SDG progress, education, climate change, biodiversity and football for the goals, among other issues.

Join us and be part of conversations on the transformation and solutions.

77th Session of General Assembly, General Debate | 20-26 September

The curtain rises on the busiest diplomatic season of the year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Under the theme, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges,” the General Debate will be held from 20 to 26 September, with Heads of State and Government addressing the 193-member organ in-person.

Read the 5 key things to know about the upcoming General Assembly session.

For General Assembly highlights, go to: United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week 2022 – United Nations Sustainable Development 

For media accreditation information, go to: Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit Logistical support and information to members of the press

To watch the General Assembly online, go to: UN Web TV | UN Web TV

2022 class of Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals

The Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth’s flagship initiative engages young people from across the world in supporting the UN’s work to catalyze action and advocacy by and for young people toward the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Following an open call for applications which resulted in 5,434 total applications submitted from 194 countries, the Envoy on Youth is excited to announce a new class of Young Leaders for the SDGs on 21 September 2022.

Stay tuned for the announcement via social media @UNYouthEnvoy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and website.

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2022 | 7 September

The Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2022 brings together the latest available evidence on gender equality across all 17 Goals, highlighting the progress made since 2015, but also the most recent setbacks in progress.

At the current rate of progress, the global goal to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls may take over 280 years to achieve. COVID-19 and the backlash on women’s sexual and reproductive rights is further deteriorating the gender equality outlook. 

Global Week to #Act4SDGs | 16-25 September

From 16 to 25 September, the UN SDG Action Campaign together with its partners invite people everywhere to join the Global Week to #Act4SDGs, a mobilization moment to accelerate action on the SDGs. With over 100 million SDG actions accumulated in 2021, this year aims to scale up engagement across the world via events, activations, and a public stunt held on the anniversary of the SDGs on 25 September, to show that collective action around the themes of climate, justice and peace, can lead to great change around the world. 

Global Goals Week | 16-25 September

Global Goals Week features a week of action, awareness, and accountability for the SDGs. Every year, partners from civil society, business, academia, and the UN System come together to share opportunities to speak out as one voice, share ideas and transformative solutions in the fight to recover better from global challenges.

Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2022 (FAO) | 19 September

FAO’s new report, “Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2022”, offers analysis and trends on indicators across eight SDGs (1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14 and 15), highlighting areas of progress and areas where further effort is needed.

This year’s edition also discusses selected indicators for which FAO is a contributing agency and/or have key implications for food and agriculture across these Goals. This edition also includes a snapshot on conflict, COVID-19 and food insecurity, as well as a special chapter on measuring productive and sustainable agriculture, with progress toward SDG Target 2.4 analysed for the first time.

SDG Action Zone | 21-23 September

From 21 to 23 September 2022, the SDG Action Zone will take place during the High-level Week of the UNGA. It will champion the activists and allies accelerating progress towards the SDGs, through candid, honest and powerful conversations. The three-day virtual Action Zone will feature an ambitious array of speakers: from grassroots changemakers, to business leaders, government representatives, and the highest levels of UN leadership – bringing together diverse voices to meaningfully engage and collaborate during UNGA. 

Registrations are now open. Spread the word!

Photo story: UN spotlights learning crisis ahead of key summit

Education is under crisis. Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide with progress towards the education-related Sustainable Development Goals badly off track. The United Nations Secretary-General is convening world leaders for a Transforming Education Summit (TES) in response to a global crisis in education.