U.N. headquarters in New York plays host to some 150 presidents and prime ministers from Sept. 22 to 27 for the annual high-level week during the opening of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual session and for this year’s prelude, the Summit of the Future, which aims to generate a new consensus on global cooperation.
Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group, wrote in his preview for Just Security that discussions on Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan are likely to dominate this 79th UNGA session. In formal proceedings and hundreds of meetings along the sidelines, world leaders and civil society representatives also will discuss U.N. Security Council reform, climate pledges, the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, “the urgent and escalating threat of rising sea levels,” and the escalating risk of antimicrobial resistance. And the U.N. will aim for member States to reaffirm their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To help make sense of this all, the following collects Just Security’s expert analysis of key issues likely to surface at this 79th session of the General Assembly, with a focus on UNGA high-level week. It also features other relevant Just Security content, organized by theme, from our archives, as well as additional resources from the United Nations and news outlets. Stay tuned — we’ll be updating this page regularly as we publish new analysis on UNGA79.
Expert Analysis of the 79th Session of UNGA
Just Security publishes expert analysis of proceedings, meetings, and related activities at UNGA, with a focus on high-level events. This page will be updated on an ongoing basis as additional articles are published.
U.N. General Assembly High-Level Week 2024: What Experts Are Looking For
Yousuf Syed Khan, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Chidi Odinkalu, Steve Pomper, Jordan Street, Jason Calder, Laura Thornton and John Tierney discuss how debates during UNGA are likely to unfold amid backsliding on development and global cooperation.
Guide to the Formal and Informal Agendas at the 2024 UN General Assembly Summit
Richard Gowan highlights the key events and topics of discussion to follow during this year’s UNGA high-level week, including the prelude Summit for the Future, the prospects of Security Council “reform,” U.S. relations with the U.N., the effects and likely talks related to three significant wars, and more.
What the Draft UN “Pact for the Future” Tells Us About International Security
Richard Gowan reviews the strengths and areas for improvement of the draft U.N. Pact for the Future’s language on conflict management, peace operations, and Security Council reform.
Thematic Analysis
The General Assembly has identified six main focus areas for the high-level week, which will start Sept. 22 with the Summit for the Future and end with the General Debate on Sept. 30. Find in-depth analysis on all six areas of focus below.
1. Summit of the Future
The Summit of the Future will take place Sept. 22-23 to kick off high-level week and is meant to address “critical challenges and gaps in global governance exposed by recent global shocks.”
Putting the Second REAIM Summit into Context
Tobias Vestner and Simon Cleobury discuss how the second Summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM), held in Seoul Sept. 9-10, aimed to help shape global norms related to the development and deployment of AI.
2. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Moment
Acknowledging that the 17 SDGs are “off track,” and based on outcomes of the Summit of the Future, the “SDG Moment” event on Sept. 24 will update the General Assembly on progress toward reaching the SDGs by 2030 with the intent of inspiring further advances over the next six years despite the many setbacks around the world since the SDGs were adopted by all U.N. members in 2015.
Looking Ahead from Lviv: Sustainable Development in a Post-Conflict Ukraine
Lucinda A. Low discusses how sustainable development in Ukraine after the fighting ends must consider infrastructure, agricultural production, environmental and human health, and civil society.
Framing the Problem of Hunger and Conflict at the UN Security Council
Michael Fakhri, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to food, wrote as early as 2022 on “the intrinsic link between hunger and conflict.” He observes, “In the past 60 years, hunger and famine has not been caused by inadequate amounts of food. Hunger and famine, like conflicts, are always the result of political failures.”
3. General Debate
The debate will take place Sept. 24-28 and Sept. 30 under the theme “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”
Civil Society, Under Threat Worldwide, Needs a General Comment on the Right to Freedom of Association
Nikhil Dutta and Francesca Fanucci urge the U.N. Human Rights Council to make a General Comment to safeguard the right to freedom of association.
Rights of National Minorities in Armed Conflict: A Ukrainian Perspective
Olga Butkevych highlights how international law should recognize and adapt to the realities faced by national minorities during armed conflict.
Adding Gender to Apartheid in International Law: But Where?
Shadi Sadr underscores the need to establish a legal framework similar to the Apartheid Convention that addresses the full scope of gender.
AI Governance in the Age of Uncertainty: International Law as a Starting Point
Talita de Souza Dias and Rashmin Sagoo argue that starting with respect for international law can harness AI’s potential for good while minimizing its risks and ensuring equitable access to the technology.
Series on Rights and Dignity: Older People in Conflict and Crisis
This series shares perspectives on how issues of climate change, economic development, global health, and foreign policy impact older people.
4. Sea-Level Rise
This Sept. 25 meeting will focus on sustainability and climate resilience, with special attention to “small-island states and low-lying coastal areas.”
The Just Security Podcast: A Landmark Court Opinion on the Ocean and Climate Change
Ambassador Cheryl Bazard and Catherine Amirfar discuss a ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea holding that countries must take all necessary measures to prevent and reduce pollution of the marine environment from greenhouse gas emissions.
The ‘Year of Climate’ in International Courts
Rebecca Hamilton provides background on six climate cases coming before international courts in 2024.
What to Watch for Following Historic Climate Opinion from ‘The Oceans Court’
Melissa Stewart examines the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s first-ever opinion by an international court articulating States’ obligations with respect to climate change.
5. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Global Public Health
The meeting on Sept. 26 focuses on strengthening health systems against AMR.
The Just Security Podcast: Attacks on Health in Armed Conflict
An expert team from Physicians for Human Rights unpacks patterns of attacks on health care in armed conflicts.
Provision of Healthcare by Islamist Armed Groups: Between Sharia and International Law
Marta Furlan explains how some Islamists groups and the international community can bridge International Humanitarian Law and Islamic Law through healthcare.
Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure Imperil Healthcare Access
Uliana Poltavets and Christian De Vos explore how Russian attacks on the electrical grid and direct strikes on hospitals negatively impact health services in Ukraine.
6. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
On Sept. 26, the General Assembly will discuss the United Nations’ highest disarmament priority: eliminating all nuclear weapons worldwide, even as global trends are heading in the opposite direction.
Space May be Opening for Negotiations with Iran
Gregory Brew discusses that President Massoud Pezeshkian’s election offers the United States and its allies a renewed opportunity to prevent Iran from nearing nuclear weapon capability.
The Growing Threat from North Korea
The Hon. Michael Kirby urges that the international community address North Korea’s escalating human rights abuses, which are integrally connected to the country’s nuclear program.
Beating Putin’s Game of Nuclear Chicken
Douglas London recommends the U.S. make constant and consistent demonstrations of strength to manage Putin’s nuclear threats.
Collections
- Israel-Hamas War Archive
A catalog of more than 70 articles analyzing the diplomatic, legal, humanitarian and other consequences of the Israel-Hamas War.
- Russia-Ukraine War Archive
A catalog of more than 400 articles from Just Security’s coverage of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, with topics ranging from the war’s international law and economic consequences to questions of genocide and civilian harm.
- Climate Archive
A catalog of articles organizing Just Security’s coverage of the climate crisis, from its human rights and justice implications to issues of migration, national security, and geopolitics.
- Symposium: International Law in Ukraine – The View from Lviv
A series building on a 2023 convening of international and Ukrainian law experts in Lviv that covers discussions on sanctions, compensation, reintegration, accountability, and more.
- Symposium on AI Governance: Power, Justice, and the Limits of the Law
A series featuring articles that discuss the institutional, policy, and legal guardrails that ensure AI power is exercised in legitimate, just, and accountable ways.
- Collecting Just Security’s Afghanistan Coverage on Third Anniversary of Taliban
A collection of articles on the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, featuring analysis on the international recognition of the Taliban, counterterrorism and military strategy, human rights, and more.
Additional Resources
United Nations
- The provisional schedule of the session’s high-level meeting.
- U.N. Journal, which lists the current day’s and upcoming meetings at U.N. headquarters.
- The U.N. General Assembly meetings and press releases page, which provides in-house coverage of the assembly’s work.
- The U.N. News Service, which publishes U.N. coverage
- The “Latest News” page, which features the service’s most recently-published articles.
- The U.N. Security Council website, which lists the body’s programme of work, committees, and decisions and outcomes.
- U.N. Web TV, which offers live and on-demand coverage of U.N. meetings and events.
- The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals website, which provides information and news related to the 17 goals.
- The United Nations “Civil Society Events” page, which features briefings, conferences, dialogues and more involving civil society organizations.
Outside Outlets & Organizations
- The Security Council Report website, which shares coverage and analysis of the Council’s work.
- The “Resources” page, which compiles U.N. websites, Security Council members, and other international organizations, and news outlets.
- The International Crisis Group’s “Updates” page, which features the organization’s work related to this year’s U.N. General Assembly.
- PassBlue’s website, which offers news reports, analyses, and investigations closely covering U.S.-U.N. relations and key global issues.