Is Acting, or Even Listening, Happening?

Just in time for the weekend: an early gaze back at the UN HIgh Level Week UNGA 78 and more to come

So last week was a big week at the UN!  It was the UN General Assembly’s 78th High Level Week. As is the tradition, heads of state and government were invited to attend in New York and speak to the assembled delegates and guests. This year was a particularly august gathering. The opening week included a series of summits including the crucial High Level Panel Forum (HLPF) Summit. In addition, the week included the Climate Ambition Summit and a preliminary ministers gathering preparing for the Summit of the Future (SOTF) which is to occur at the next UNGA in September 2024. And there were several other gatherings.  

Now I was not totally lackadaisical about the event. In fact, in anticipation of the 78UNGA, I ‘ginned up’ Global Summitry’s  ‘Summit Dialogue’ series. The series is back! Or, at least almost. It will commence - hopefully early next week - with a podcast with my colleague and friend Stewart Patrick. Stewart is today a senior fellow and director of the Global Order Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). He has long been a leading researcher on the problems of world order, US global engagement, the United Nations and the management of global issues. And it was because of his deep interest in the UN and the management of global issues that I looked to do this podcast on this important week at the UN. 

Now I am not going to give away the podcast, it will not surprise you. It should be up early next week at Global Summitry, as I just said. Please do plan to listen in. It is a super beginning to our Season 2 ‘Summit Dialogue’ podcast series.

But the overwhelming question is - after listening to some of the gatherings and reading the actions and conclusions of others - ‘is anyone listening?’ And by that I mean national officials and policymakers particularly. I also mean to include critical national and international media. The reality - there were few articles from the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, or FT describing the issues and or identifying new national initiatives to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There was little describing the promotion of reform or the revitalization of the multilateral institutions including but not limited to the UN or of the specialized agencies. Now remember the SDGs adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets that are “designed to improve health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and ensure a just transition toward environmentally sustainable societies for all.” It is development for all!  

Finally, I did have the chance to read the in-person remarks delivered by President Biden. Two things should be noted. First President Biden was the only, yes the only leader of the permanent five (P5) - China, France, Russia, UK and US - to actually show up to deliver his remarks in New York. And, after reviewing his remarks - the speech filled 13 pages - Biden committed all of 1 paragraph to the SDGs. What does that say? 

So, again, tune in next week to - ‘An Interview with Stewart Patrick on the impacts and outcomes of UNGA 78’. You will not be disappointed.