The backdrop to this year’s 76th UN General Assembly was a world that felt fractured — just when we needed to come together against the continued ravages of COVID-19, the accelerating climate emergency, unfolding humanitarian disasters, rising inequality, and much more.
Fixing it requires bold leadership, brave choices, and sustained commitments. At UNGA, that meant bringing together world leaders, civil society champions, young people, global businesses and many others to reinforce and reinvigorate our collective determination to solve our shared problems.
Today’s actions will have an immediate impact. They will also shape our collective tomorrow. Half the world is under 30, another 10 billion will be born this century. They should benefit from the peace and prosperity, the equity and sustainability that the Sustainable Development Goals could bring. Creating that future is in our hands.
And in this moment of consequence there is momentum building: Powerful new alliances across geographies and sectors committing to systemic change; potent new voices — more diverse than ever before — claiming their place at the decision-making table. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.
The theme of the UNGA 76 meetings was sweeping and urgent: Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations. It was a reminder that we can choose the future we want.
Keep reading for insights on key issues from the UNGA 76 agenda, event information, and commentary from UN Foundation experts and thought leaders.
As this year’s UNGA high-level week was winding down, UN Foundation President and CEO Elizabeth Cousens offered early reflections on what UNGA76 achieved.
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Of all the speeches, events, and conversations we followed throughout this year's UNGA, here are some of the quotes that will stay with us.
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Hear from UN Next Generation Fellow Valeria Colunga on her reflections coming out of UNGA76.
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At UNGA, there were signs of greater global cooperation on the pandemic, but whether they translate into prompt action will be the real evidence of the solidarity that’s needed.
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The climate crisis topped the agenda at UNGA76, which brought together world leaders and global stakeholders just six weeks ahead of COP26.
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The UN Foundation’s Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy offers an insider’s look at how feminists across the globe joined forces at this year’s UNGA.
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The UN Secretary-General’s new landmark report charts a future of greater cooperation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on young people to support the development of Our Common Agenda. They answered the call, and made their mark.
Want to review all the news that came out of UNGA? Acclaimed foreign affairs journalist Mark Goldberg hosted a special edition of his popular Global Dispatches Podcast, which offered daily analysis of UNGA76 with experts from around the world.
Day 1 | Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed | Climate Diplomacy Expert Yamide Dagnet
First, Mark Goldberg, acclaimed foreign affairs journalist, interviews the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J Mohammed about her key priorities for this United Nations General Assembly and who previews the week ahead at the UN.
Next, Mark speaks with Yamide Dagnet, director of climate negotiations at the World Resources Institute who explains the significance of the Secretary General’s closed-door meeting and identifies key moments for climate diplomacy this week.
If you have 25 minutes and want to better understand what is driving diplomacy during #UNGA76, have a listen.
Day 2 | Joe Biden’s UN Speech | António Guterres’ Big Warning to the World and More
Joining host Mark Goldberg today to discuss the key moments from the opening of the General Debate is Richard Gowan, UN Director for the International Crisis Group and Anjali Dayal, Assistant Professor of International Politics at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus.
They kick off discussing the big takeaways from Guterres and Biden’s speeches before having a broader discussion about the significance of this year’s General Assembly and key moments of international diplomacy in the week ahead.
Day 3 | A Major COVID Summit at the White House | Plus, Panama Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes
The big diplomatic event today occurred on the margins of the UN General Assembly in a COVID-19 summit convened by the White House. Kate Dodson, Vice President for Global Health at the UN Foundation, explains the key outcomes and overall significance of the meeting to the global effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
The episode kicks off with the Foreign Minister of Panama, Erika Mouynes, who takes listeners behind-the-scenes of her work as a senior diplomat as she pursues her key priorities during the most important — and hectic — week in diplomacy.
Day 4 | Food Systems Summit | Security Council Meets on Climate-Security
Ahead of a Security Council meeting dedicated to climate security, host Mark Goldberg spoke with Ireland’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Geraldine Byrne Nason, who explained why Ireland called this meeting and what they seek to achieve.
Later in the show, Mark brought back Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group, who joined live and offered some commentary and analysis about this unique meeting of the Security Council.
But first, Mark was joined by Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Director for Africa at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Dr. Njuki explains why this meeting was called and discusses some key outcomes from the Food Systems Summit.
Day 5 | A Major Meeting on Energy Transition | ICRC Head Peter Maurer | UN Foundation President and CEO Elizabeth Cousens
For the final episode of host Mark Goldberg’s special live coverage of the 76th UN General Assembly, hear from three guests:
Peter Maurer, President of the International Federation for the Red Cross, on the ongoing diplomacy around the crisis in Afghanistan.
Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, sharing her key takeaways from this week in diplomacy.
Kanika Chawla, Program Manager with UN Energy, SEforALL, on significant outcomes from the High Level Dialogue on Energy.
Global Goals Week is a shared commitment of partnership between civil society, business, academia and the UN system to push action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially during the UN General Assembly High-level Week. It is also an opportunity to speak out as one voice, share ideas and transformative solutions in the fight to build back better from global challenges.
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