The United Nations General Assembly is the main policy-making organ of the Organization, comprising all 193 Member States. The 76th session of the General Debate starting on September 14th provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues. This year's theme is "Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations."
At Connecting Business initiative, we've curated a list of key events happening during the General Assembly and focusing on disaster risk management and the role of the private sector in humanitarian assistance, climate action and development.
You can also check the high-level meetings schedule and social media toolkits from different UN agencies on the #UNGA Trello board.
Featured events
September 20 | 7:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. EDT | Uniting Business LIVE - Private Sector Forum
The UN Secretary-General’s annual Private Sector Forum provides a platform for CEOs, Governments leaders and UN agency heads to engage in a high-level dialogue, allowing a global private sector and multi stakeholder audience to engage first-hand in the debate and discussions. In addition to the UN Global Compact’s strategic priorities of Climate, COVID Recovery and global impact strategies, the Forum will include focused discussions on the private sector’s role in strengthening global Food Systems and Sustainable Energy production. Don't miss the special brief by OCHA's Acting Deputy Relief Chief, Ramesh Rajasingham, on Private Sector Support for Humanitarian Relief, at 11.15 A.M. EDT on Monday, 20 September.
September 23 | 10:05 A.M. EDT | Devex @ UNGA 76 - Panel: How the UN works with the private sector
Devex, the global media platform for the development community, convenes a three-day event about topics around the 76th session of the General Assembly., to dive into the most important conversations driving the agenda and discuss the best ways to build back better. CBi's Local Coordination Specialist Rhiza Nery will participate in a panel discussion about the UN work with the private sector, together with UNDP's SDG Finance Sector Hub Director, Marcos Neto.
Private sector key events
15 September | 8 a.m. EDT | SDG Philanthropy Platform digital UNGA event
The side event jointly organized by UNDP, Russian Donors Forum and WINGS will discuss solutions and initiatives, unlocking the full potential of philanthropy and supporting development of local philanthropy towards more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient societies.
20 - 24 September | all day | Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit
The summit, part of the Global Goals week, will explore the role that business can play in partnership with Governments and civil society to ensure that we rebuild better from the pandemic & accelerate progress towards the equitable and resilient future envisioned in the SDGs. Key speakers include senior executives of Facebook, eBay and Google, and many more tech companies.
20 - 23 September | all day | 2021 Concordia Annual Summit
The organization's annual event will take place in person and online and "convene executives, politicians, nonprofit leaders, and entrepreneurs—to spark dialogue, catalyze collaboration, and collectively pave the path toward a more equitable, sustainable future." There's a 75$ fee for one-day pass or 250$ for the whole event.
21 September | 3 p.m. SGT & 22 September | 12 p.m. EDT | The role of tech in global recovery
This event organized by Facebook and featuring Indonesia' Minister of Health and the Head of WhatsApp will focus on the role of technology and innovation to shift from pandemic to recovery.
23 - 24 September | all day | Business Call to Action Annual Forum
The virtual BcTA 11th Annual Forum, “Inclusive Business at the Nexus of Recovery”, will highlight inclusive business as a path toward greener and more equitable global prosperity. Follow the live discussion on inclusive business on September 23, at 9:00 a.m. EDT with UNDP's Director of the Istanbul International Center for Private Sector In Development, Sahba Sobhani, and at 11:45 a.m. EDT on driving MSMEs toward a green recovery.
Disaster Risk Management events
16 September | 12 p.m. EDT | DRR implications of the IPCC AR6 WG-I report: the need for urgent action
This webinar organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) focuses on the disaster risk implications of the recently released Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I which warns us that human-induced climate change is leading to weather and climate extremes in every region. This, in turn, is driving up risks and pointing to an urgent need to accelerate action to avert climate related disaster risks.
28 September, 12 & 26 October | 3 p.m. CEST | Webinar Series: Modern Technologies for Disaster Management
This webinar series organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) discusses the use of artificial intelligence, robotics and drones in disaster management.
Stay tuned for more events and info on the General Assembly and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn!