Large event 24 Sep, 2024

IUCN at 79th Session of the UN General Assembly

On September 24th 2024, the High-Level Week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly will open in New York City USA. The theme of the General Debate will be “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations”. 

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Photo: United Nations

The gathering is an important milestone to review the progress made so far on the SDGs and to accelerate efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The IUCN delegation taking part in the different segments of UNGA79 and Climate Week will include the IUCN President, the Director General, the Regional Director for North America, the Permanent Observer of IUCN to the UN, as well as other supporting staff members.

This year, the main event of the High-Level Week will be the Summit of the Future (22-23 September). Here Heads of States and Governments will discuss how to overcome the recent global shocks that undermined international cooperation and how to breathe new life into the multilateral system. The outcome of the summit are three action-oriented documents outlining a path for the upcoming years. These documents include the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. The Summit of the Future will also be preceded by two Action Days aimed at generating momentum for meaningful action.

Furthermore, three High-level meetings will take place over these days on antimicrobial resistance, on the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and on addressing the existential threats posed by sea level rise. The latter is of particular importance for IUCN due to its strong links with climate change.

In parallel, Climate Week NYC will take place (22-30 September 2024). This event brings together over 500 events and activities across the City of New York. It brings together business leaders, decision-makers and civil society representatives from a wide variety of backgrounds, and from all over the world, to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change.

    Summit of the Future

    IUCN has been active in the negotiations for the Summit of the Future since its very beginning, providing its inputs to the missions in New York on the different versions of the outcome documents and by liaising with a wide range of members and external stakeholders. 

    The Summit itself will feature an opening segment where the outcome documents (including the Pact for the Future) are expected to be agreed, and four interactive dialogues around the 17 SDGs and the challenges of our time. The titles of the four interactive dialogues are:

    • Transforming global governance and turbocharging the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development
    • Enhancing multilateralism for international peace and security
    • Towards a Common Digital Future: strengthening inclusive innovation and cooperation to bridge the digital divides
    • The Future Starts Now: enhancing the global system for current and future generations.

    Side-events

    The gathering in New York will feature several side-events and speaking opportunities where IUCN will be able to be the voice of nature and to further raise awareness about its comprehensive portfolio.

    IUCN is co-organizing the following events:

    • Turning the tide on the violence of gender inequality in climate and conservation action 
    • Accountability for Environmental Violations and Crimes: Advancing a More Global and Inclusive Approach to International Environmental Law
    • From Dubai to Cali: Accelerating the climate-nature agenda for people and planet: UN General Assembly High-Level event on climate, nature and people

    In addition, the IUCN delegation has an active role in the following events:

    • High-level event on the US Government’s Women in Sustainable Environments (WISE) initiative
    • Capital Mobilization for Nature: Towards a Nature Positive Economy
    • FPA2 reception and networking event organised by The Polar Initiative
    • IUCN Patrons of Nature annual meeting 
    • Shipping and Climate: addressing the triple crisis
    • Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA) Climate Week event
    • Cultural Heritage and Ocean Conservation Location