From K-Pop heroes to net zero: 5 things to look out for at UNGA 76

1) To beryllium oregon not to beryllium (at the GA successful person)

The format of this year’s UN General Assembly league (UNGA 76) is simply a reflection of the existent authorities of the world: a gradual instrumentality to in-person meetings, with plentifulness of delegates staying online, but besides a tendency to instrumentality to immoderate mentation of normality, leavened by a designation that the COVID-19 pandemic is acold from over.

Following past year’s virtual UNGA, immoderate Heads of State volition beryllium coming to UN Headquarters successful New York to present their set-piece General Debate speeches astatine the podium, whilst the bulk enactment astatine location to present their messages via video. 

One of the astir invaluable aspects of UNGA for Heads of State and different elder authorities officials, is the accidental to person informal, one-on-one meetings with their counterparts, distant from prying eyes. This accidental was sorely missed past year, and backstage “bilateral booths” person been acceptable up. 
While it is inactive unclear which authorities leaders volition crook up successful idiosyncratic you can, of course, travel our sum of the statement connected the main UN News website, and ticker the proceedings unrecorded arsenic ever, connected UN Web TV.

2 A K-Pop moment, and a vaccine booster

© UNICEF/Zoe Mangwinda

The proviso of COVID-19 vaccines to processing countries similar the Democratic Republic of the Congo (pictured), needs to beryllium stepped up, according to the UN.

On the taxable of COVID-19 vaccinations, the mantra of the World Health Organization (WHO) has been “no-one’s harmless until everyone’s safe”: successful different words, richer countries, which are making large strides successful inoculating the bulk of their citizens, request to guarantee that the populations of poorer countries are besides protected. 

However, this is intelligibly not happening, according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the caput of the WHO. On 20 September, arsenic portion of the “SDG Moment” of the Decade of Action (the UN’s propulsion to present sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges), helium volition sermon the existent authorities of the planetary roll-out of vaccinations, with Achim Steiner, the caput of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and Vera Songwe, who runs the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 

Will BTS interruption the internet? Again?

The all-day lawsuit volition besides diagnostic a show by Korean superstars, and friends of the UN, BTS.
The seven-piece K-Pop radical has been partnering with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) since 2017 connected the Love Myself campaign to extremity bullying, and beforehand self-esteem.

The I.T. squad astatine the UN volition doubtless beryllium connected tenterhooks arsenic 20 September approaches, mindful of the immense net postulation BTS attracted during their erstwhile sojourn to the General Assembly successful 2018, and erstwhile their video connection was released astatine past year’s virtual GA - some of which near the strategy struggling to cope.

3) Hungry for change: cooking up caller nutrient systems

The past twelvemonth has seen a caller impetus astatine the UN connected the request to overhaul nutrient systems, defined arsenic everything progressive successful getting steadfast and nutritious meals, from crops to meat, onto our plates.

This caller propulsion was instigated by the determination of UN main António Guterres to make the archetypal UN Food Systems Summit, which takes spot connected 23 September. 

Several experts person warned that the existent planetary nutrient strategy is actively harmful to the satellite and planetary population. Announcing the summit, Mr. Guterres said that nutrient systems are “one of the main reasons we are failing to enactment wrong our planet’s ecological boundaries”.

Food systems emit astir a 3rd of planetary greenhouse gases; origin deforestation and origin astir 80 per cent of biodiversity loss.

On apical of the biology destruction, shockingly, astir a 3rd of each nutrient produced each twelvemonth is mislaid oregon wasted. 
The purpose of the acme is to make strategies to combat planetary challenges specified arsenic hunger, clime change, poorness and inequality; and make caller nutrient systems that payment each radical and support the planet. 

4) Weathering the ‘threat multiplier’ storm: clime and security

NOOR/Kadir van Lohuizen

In Seychelles, efforts are undertaken to amended coastal extortion from flooding caused by storms and a emergence successful oversea level owed to clime change.

The clime situation is present recognized arsenic an contented that is not conscionable an biology problem, but an existential situation that affects america all: the UN has described clime alteration arsenic a “threat multiplier”, which is adding accent to the economic, social, and governmental systems of each country.

For example, drought successful the Sahel portion of North Africa is simply a contributing origin successful conflict, displacing populations facing hunger and constricted livelihood prospects.
Studies person linked clime alteration to the Sudanese civilian war, arsenic good arsenic much caller events specified arsenic the warfare successful Tigray, bluish Ethiopia, and the maturation of equipped struggle successful the Lake Chad basin, a h2o root shared by respective countries, which has shrunk by immoderate 90 per cent since 1960.

UN News volition study connected a peculiar Security Council statement connected clime and security, owed to instrumentality spot connected 23 September.

5) A nett zero sum game: clean, reliable energy

Questions surrounding vigor are astatine the bosom of efforts to tackle the clime crisis, truthful it whitethorn beryllium astonishing that the past planetary gathering connected vigor held nether the auspices of the UN General Assembly, took spot 40 years ago.

So, it’s precocious clip for a caller one, The UN High-level Dialogue connected Energy connected 24 September. It’s taking spot successful a satellite that views the usage of fossil fuels and renewable energy, precise otherwise than it did successful the 1980s.

Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern vigor for all, is 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that marque up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN’s blueprint for a cleaner, fairer future.

Another situation owed to beryllium discussed astatine the lawsuit volition beryllium however to bring harmful greenhouse state emissions, the drivers of clime change, down to net zero by 2050. 

It’s a large task, requiring ambitious actions starting close now. This is wherefore nations, regions, businesses, NGOs and others volition beryllium asked to contiguous “Energy Compacts”, mounting retired voluntary commitments and factual plans explaining however they’re going to marque it happen.

Look retired for a LIVE UN News blog of the event, taking successful contributions from activists, elder officials, and leaders.