General Assembly

An aerial view over the UN headquarters in NY shows the giant 11,000 square meters (118,000 sq ft) biodegradable ephemeral fresco "Work in Progress II".
Valentin Flauraud for Saype

UNGA76: Giant eco-friendly artwork set to inspire world leaders

18 September 2021
SDGs

A new 11,000 square metre ‘ephemeral fresco’ created by Swiss artist Saype, has set the stage at UN Headquarters in New York, to welcome world leaders for the General Assembly High Level Week. It shows two children building the world of the future using origami, highlighting the participation of young people. 

Some world leaders will deliver speeches in the UN General Assembly hall in person, but it's expected the majority will not be travelling to New York.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider

From BTS, K-Pop heroes, to net zero: 5 things to look out for at UNGA76

15 September 2021
UN Affairs

The 76th session of the UN General Assembly is due to begin on 14 September, and it will be very different from 2020’s fully virtual gathering. UNGA 76 will still be overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that won’t stop leaders (some of them in the Assembly Hall) from addressing urgent global challenges. Here are five things you should know about 2021’s “hybrid” event.

The President-elect of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid in the General Assembly hall.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

INTERVIEW: New UN Assembly president highlights hope 

14 September 2021
UN Affairs

The incoming President of the General Assembly says that hope is desperately needed for those billions around the world struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, devastation, and strife. In his first major interview, he told UN News that the General Assembly, as the UN’s most representative body, is ideally placed to give shape to that hope.  

Volkan Bozkir, the President of the 75th General Assembly session, addresses the media as he prepares to end his presidency.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

World remains ‘far behind’ solving biggest global challenges: Bozkir 

9 September 2021
UN Affairs

The President of the UN General Assembly, told reporters on Thursday, that the world is “far behind in being able to solve the greatest global challenges and achieve the SDGs.” 

UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld holds a press conference at UN Headquarters on 24 March 1960.
UN Photo

UN chief: Dag Hammarskjöld ‘set the highest standard for public service’ 

9 September 2021
UN Affairs

The General Assembly this Thursday held a commemorative event to mark the 60th anniversary of the death of former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, where current chief António Guterres, noted that in his passing, the world had lost “a noble servant of peace, and the United Nations lost one of our greatest.” 

Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, opened the High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace
UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Shared ‘grief and anxiety’ a powerful unifying factor in COVID fight 

7 September 2021
UN Affairs

The General Assembly on Tuesday held a High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace, focused on building resilience and a fair recovery against the continued ravages of COVID-19. 

An Afghan girl was injured when a school in Kabul’s district 13 came under attack.
© UNICEF Afghanistan

‘Lifesaving’ protection for children in conflict must be central to pandemic recovery: UN official

23 August 2021
Peace and Security

Protection for children caught up in war must be at the heart of the international agenda, including COVID-19 response, a senior UN official said on Monday. 

Traders at this market in Luanda, Angola, have adopted measures to keep themselves safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
© FAO/ C. Marinheiro

Countries urged to develop pandemic preparedness and response treaty

29 July 2021
Health

A senior official with the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the need for a global treaty on pandemic preparedness and response, urging countries to “seize the moment” and support its development. 

UN General Assembly votes on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

UN General Assembly calls for US to end Cuba embargo for 29th consecutive year

23 June 2021
UN Affairs

A total of 184 countries on Wednesday voted in favour of a resolution to demand the end of the US economic blockade on Cuba, for the 29th year in a row, with the United States and Israel voting against.

Workers in a garment factory in Bangladesh.
© ILO

UN chief urges debt relief extension for middle-income countries

17 June 2021
Economic Development

Innovative measures to address debt are required to help the world’s more than 100 middle-income countries expand their economies and exit the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Thursday.