IUCN @ UN General Assembly High-Level Week

The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) 78^th session comes at a critical time for the 2030 Agenda, as it marks the halfway point to the deadline set for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to the opening of the General Debate, where Heads of State and Government present their annual addresses to the UNGA and the world, in 2023, High-Level Week featured a series of Summits, Dialogues, and high-level Meetings, including:

• SDG Summit (18-19 September) – the Summit meets every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly, to take stock of progress towards the SDGs and accelerate action to achieve them by 2030. It featured several Leaders’ Dialogues, and adopted a political declaration. It was the centrepiece of High-Level Week, and was preceded by an SDG Action Weekend.
• Climate Ambition Summit (20 September) – convened by the Secretary-General, the Summit focused on accelerating action and hearing from first movers and doers, to demonstrate that there is collective will to do more, and build momentum ahead of UNFCCC COP28.
• High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (20 September) – the Dialogue is mandated to accompany the SDG Summit every four years, to look at aligning and mobilising resources to finance the 2030 Agenda.
• Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Summit of the Future (21 September) – this Meeting provided Member States and others an opportunity to set out their vision, priorities, and expectations for the Summit of the Future in 2024. The Summit offers a chance to speed up SDG implementation, enhance global cooperation, and address gaps in global governance. The Acting Director General delivered a statement on behalf of IUCN, available to stream here:

Anchored by the SDG Summit, as well as the annual Patrons of Nature meeting, IUCN sent a high-level delegation to New York, including the President and Acting Director General. IUCN sponsored, co-sponsored, and participated in a series of events during High-Level Week, both as part of the official programme and on the margins, including those affiliated with the SDG Action Weekend and Climate Week NYC.

IUCN’s resources and other information below, including its position paper for UNFCCC COP28, highlight how our Nature 2030 Programme supports the 2030 Agenda, and how this week is key milestone on the path to increasing climate ambition.