As the global community is witnessing an unprecedented level of human mobility, the issue of safety and dignity for refugees and migrants will take center stage at the UN General Assembly, as it starts its 71st Session. Gathering leaders from around the world, the upcoming session commencing on 13 September, will also feature events to mark the one year anniversary of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, meetings of the High-level Panel on Water, the SDG Advocates and more.
Under the leadership of its new President Peter Thomson, Permanent Representative of Fiji, the General Assembly will hone in on a large number of agenda items featured under overarching themes including on the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, maintenance of international peace and security, development of Africa, promotion of human rights and the effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts.
Some highlights during UNGA high-level week
But before Heads of State and Government take to the podium for the general debate on 20 September, they will focus their attention on a pressing global issue: large movements of refugees and migrants.
Described as a historic event, the General Assembly will on 19 September host the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, featuring two parallel plenary events and six round table sessions putting a spotlight on a number of important issues and challenges that the international community seeks to resolve.
On 20 September, prior to the opening of the general debate, some of the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocates will participate in a special event to mark the one year anniversary of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through an “SDG Moment” in the General Assembly Hall, the event will feature the screening of a video, highlighting the progress made on implementing the SDGs to date, also demonstrating the universal and interconnected nature of these goals, and celebrating key multilateral moments, including when the SDGs were adopted.
Access to clean water and sanitation
Today, more than 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and at least 663 million do not have access to safe drinking water. To mobilize effective action to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6, which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, 10 Heads of State and Government were earlier this year appointed as Members of the High-level Panel on Water by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.
The panel had its first meeting earlier in the spring and on 21 September; it is time for the panel to convene again to discuss the new action plan among other things. Covering three main areas – political leadership, mobilizing action, and identifying so called Lighthouse initiatives – the plan contains 41 proposed actions. If implemented, these actions are expected to have a major impact to address the challenges the global community is facing in this area.
UNGA Second and Third Committees
In the beginning of October, the work of the Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) and the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) are set to begin. Supported by UN DESA, these two committees will discuss the items on the agenda related to economic growth and development and social, humanitarian issues and human rights, respectively.
The Committees seek where possible to harmonize the various approaches of States, and present their recommendations, usually in the form of draft resolutions and decisions, to a plenary meeting of the Assembly for its consideration. The Assembly’s Second Committee deals with the economic and financial aspects of development and its Third Committee addresses social, humanitarian and cultural matters.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/undesavoice/highlights/2016/09/
http://www.un.org/en/ga/71/agenda/index.shtml
Извор: WUNRN – 08.09.2016
