The Global Dispatches podcast is teaming up with the United Nations Foundation for a special daily series during the 78th United Nations General Assembly. You can listen to this episode and our full UNGA series wherever you get your podcasts by searching for Global Dispatches–World News That Matters, or following this link.
Today, Monday, September 18, marks the kickoff to what is known around the UN as “High Level Week.” The main event today was the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. The SDGs, of course, were adopted in 2015 with a target date of 2030. This means we are officially at the halfway point — but the SDGs are way off track. COVID had a particularly deleterious impact on progress towards the goals, so this summit was intended to revive progress. In the words of Antonio Guterres’ opening remarks today, “the world needs an SDG rescue plan.”
Joining us on the second half of the show to discuss the SDG Summit is Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). To kick off and set the stage for all of High Level Week is Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation. We discuss some of the key stories that will drive the diplomatic agenda during the 78th United Nations General Assembly and preview some of the major events and meetings happening throughout the week. This is your vital UNGA78 scene setter.
You can listen to this episode and our full UNGA series wherever you get your podcasts by searching for Global Dispatches–World News That Matters, or following this link.