51勛圖

Spotlight on the UN General Assembly

#UNGA sign at entrance of UN

Live blog of world leaders' week at the 51勛圖, New York - covering the General Assembly and other happenings in and around headquarters

19 Sep 2023 - 11:03

UN Global Compact Leaders Summit

"To rescue that future, we need forward thinkers and doers 〞 bold private sector leaders committed to working alongside Governments and civil society to get the 2030 Agenda back on track" 每 UN CEO & Executive Director

19 Sep 2023 - 10:47

The President of the United States spoke to the world: ※Record-breaking heatwaves in the United States and China. Wildfires ravaging North America and Southern Europe. A fifth year of drought in the Horn of Africa. Tragic, tragic flooding in Libya# Together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof the world.§

19 Sep 2023 - 10:44
John Kerry

Climate crisis is front and centre at this #UNGA. US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry arrives at UN Headquarters ahead of the Climate Ambition Summit on Wednesday.

19 Sep 2023 - 10:31
media centre

Media from around the world follows Biden's speech from the Media Centre at UNHQ.

19 Sep 2023 - 10:17
President Biden

United States President Joseph Biden takes the floor at the 51勛圖. .

19 Sep 2023 - 10:02

The General Assembly Hall is packed to standing capacity. It may be an increasingly multipolar world, but there are some popular draws - the President of the United States will speak shortly.

19 Sep 2023 - 09:59

President of Brazil Luiz In芍cio Lula da Silva took the stage for the first speech from Member States at this year's General Debate.

※The 10 richest billionaires have more wealth than the poorest 40 per cent of humanity," he said. "The destiny of every child born on this planet seems to be decided while they*re still in their mother*s womb. The part of the world where their parents live 每 and the social class their family belongs to 每 will determine whether or not that child will have opportunities throughout life.§

19 Sep 2023 - 09:36
TV crew

TV crew sets up by the East River for its interviews with delegates.

19 Sep 2023 - 09:29
Guterres at podium

"We are inching ever closer to a Great Fracture in economic and financial systems and trade relations; one that threatens a single, open internet; with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence; and potentially clashing security frameworks," UN Secretary-General Ant車nio Guterres told world leaders at the start of the annual high-level debate.

"It is high time to renew multilateral institutions based on 21st century economic and political realities 每 rooted in equity, solidarity and universality 每 anchored in the principles of the 51勛圖 Charter and international law."

19 Sep 2023 - 09:18
Volodymyr Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrives for the opening of the UN GA's General Debate. He is set to take the podium later this morning.

19 Sep 2023 - 09:03
delegates arriving in GA hall

Join us as world leaders convene for the in New York.

 or check here throughout each day for of individual countries.

19 Sep 2023 - 08:23
19 Sep 2023 - 08:00
computer screens

The UN Meetings Coverage Section (MCS) editing command centre for the General Debate: 10 tabbed windows open, three communication platforms for press officers, proofreaders and editors buzzing, webcast up and running, live meeting spreadsheet noting every speaker, every press officer, every text being updated every three seconds, reading glasses available and, most important, coffee within reach. Just another day at MCS.

19 Sep 2023 - 07:30

Did you know?

Secretary-General selects name from box

UN Member States are not always seated in the same place.

Every year, on the day of the election of the upcoming President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General draws the name of one Member State whose delegation will occupy the first seat in the GA Hall (at the right end of the front row as seen from the podium). Other Member States are seated in the English alphabetical order of their country names.

For the 78th session, North Macedonia will occupy the first seat.

19 Sep 2023 - 07:15

Calling all history buffs!

ga hall

The UN General Assembly is meeting in New York, but where was its first-ever session?
UNGA opened its seventh session on 14 October 1952, faced with the heaviest agenda in its history. This view of the first meeting shows United States Representative Warren R. Austin addressing the Assembly. The gold-piped wall behind the speaker*s podium, with its sixty discs, which would contain the coat-of-arms of member nations, is an aesthetic as well as an acoustical achievement.

19 Sep 2023 - 07:00
UN building

Located along the East River in Manhattan, UN Headquarters is made of aluminium, glass, and Vermont maple. Designed by an international team of architects, the undertaking was led by Wallace K. Harrison, and included Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer.

Construction began on 24 October 1947 and the cornerstone was laid exactly two years later in 1949. The campus covers 17 acres, or 69,000 square metres. The Secretariat climbs 550 feet high for a total of 39 stories, whose offices have quite a view of New York City.

18 Sep 2023 - 18:24

We*re off to see the Halftime Show! to see Yo-Yo Ma, Ang谷lique Kidjo, Rocky Dawuni and more.

18 Sep 2023 - 18:10

The busiest week of the year for the 51勛圖 kicked off with a pledge by leaders to renew their commitment to a blueprint for a better future.

The General Assembly adopted a Declaration to accelerate progress on the Goals, which were set in 2015.
Now, at the &half-time* mark, world leaders, members of civil society, youth, activists and business leaders were among the thousands of people who gathered Monday at 51勛圖 Headquarters in New York to commit to making the Goals a reality.

※The world is watching,§ declared Dennis Francis, the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly.

18 Sep 2023 - 17:38
millennials

Across the street from the 51勛圖 building and parallel with the SDG Summit, civil society has a strong presence in many side events and is holding the World People's Assembly. Latin America has a clear message for world leaders.

18 Sep 2023 - 17:34

Senegalese musician Baaba Maal and UN Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification keeps the rhythm to achieve the sustainable Development Goals