During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), diplomats from around the world will address issues related to pressing global issues such as the COVID-19 crisis and climate change.
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"We find ourselves in a time of great trouble and division. Conflict and climate change. Growing poverty, exclusion, and inequality. And a pandemic that continues to threaten lives, livelihoods, and futures," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
In recent years, international cooperation has been held back due to the strong tensions between the major powers. Regarding this, Guterres said that only if the world gets united it will be possible to address the fractures that are a consequence of decisions related to foreign policy interests.
The UNGA President Abdulla Shahid outlined his priorities for the coming year, among which the response to the pandemic and the fight against climate change stand out above all.
On the climate issue, Shahid plans to organize a high-level meeting in October to activate the world before the start of the next climate summit (COP26), to be held in November in Glasgow, UK.
He also identified COVID-19 vaccination as his number one priority, stressing the importance of closing the international gaps in access to vaccines. To date, many countries have a shortage of vaccines, whereas others have a surplus of them. Besides being unjust from a moral point of view, this is not efficient from a global healthcare perspective.
From Sept. 14 to 27, representatives of most of the 193 UN countries will be discussing these and other issues of global importance.