UNderstanding the UN: What to Watch

UNderstanding the UN is done in partnership with PassBlue. 

Next week kicks off the United Nations General Assembly. Taking place over two weeks, the General Assembly will host the world’s most important leaders while tackling growing issues. While traffic congestion will definitely be at the forefront of New Yorker’s minds, here’s a quick primer to get you ready for New York’s biggest political event. 

Who’s in town?

Leaders from across the world are making their way to the big apple. Here are some of the most anticipated guests:

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: Boasting of new ways to achieve international peace, Guterres has been forced to deal with some major issues while presiding over the United Nations.  We’re interested to hear what he has to say about conflicts that have arose over the past year in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Palestine-Israel.

United States President Donald Trump: Trump will make his big appearance on September 24th, speaking after Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. It’s been reported that Trump will not participate in the UN Climate Change conference but representatives from the state department will reportedly attend. This comes as little surprise considering Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement. 

French President Emmanuel Macron: Macron will focus his efforts primarily on climate change. Promoting sustainable developments is a key platform issue for Macron and is likely to be the topic of conversation during his speech. He’s also expected to address women’s rights. 

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro: Bolsonaro will speak first at the General Assembly, which comes from a tradition that Brazil speaks first since 1955. Trump will speak immediately after him. It’ll be interesting to see how Bolsonaro, a Trump supporter, addresses climate change given the Amazon Rainforest is burning under his watch. 

Spotlight on Kelly Knight Craft’s Breakout time:

The new US-UN ambassador Kelly Knight Craft has kept us on the edge of our seats. While the world will keep a sharp eye on President Trump, Craft’s first major appearance on behalf of the United States is sure to draw some spotlight. Craft has been relatively absent in the weeks leading up the General Assembly. She’s come under fire for her close ties to the coal industry, of which her husband, Joseph Craft, is the CEO of one of the biggest coal manufacturers in the states. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how she fares on a world stage seeping with climate change activists.  

Councils that are meeting:

There will be various councils and meetings happening, but the most anticipated is the Climate Change summit, which will be held on the 23rd. On the same day the General Assembly will hold a one-day, high-level meeting on universal health care coverage.

Three key issues likely to present themselves?

It’s a bit hard to anticipate what exact issues may arise between different member nations, but we can bet on climate change, women’s rights and universal health care to dominate the stage when it comes to general talks. 

Want to know more about who else will be at the UNGA? Curious to know more about our new US ambassador? Stay updated by visiting PassBlue!