The High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York. Heads of state and foreign ministers will gather over the course of five days to discuss critical global issues impacting all of humanity. Additionally, the 79th session of the UNGA will host multilateral meetings within the BRICS framework and the Group of Twenty (G20).

On Tuesday, September 24, the general debate commenced, with President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva being among the first speakers. In his speech, he drew attention to the problems of global warming, emphasising that 2024 could be the hottest year in modern history. In addition, Lula da Silva stated the need to reform the UN.

“In nearly 80 years of its existence, the United Nations Charter has never undergone comprehensive reform. <…> When the UN was founded, we were 51 countries. We are now 193 countries,” the Brazilian leader said. On the first day of the debates, more than 30 heads of state, including the leaders of Argentina, Vietnam, Iran, Qatar, Morocco, Serbia, and South Africa, were scheduled to address the Assembly. The South African delegation is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is expected to focus on issues related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Prior to the general debate, the Summit of the Future took place from 22-23 September, focussing on developing more effective and inclusive systems to counter emerging threats, accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promote multilateralism in global politics.

Among the speakers at the Summit of the Future was Wang Yi, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, who attended the two-day event as the special representative of President Xi Jinping. Wang Yi highlighted Chinese initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative, as innovative solutions to global challenges and key contributions to building a better world. The High-Level Week of the UNGA remains a significant annual event where world leaders convene to discuss and address pressing global issues.

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