Wednesday, January 13th 2021
11am to 12pm EST
To support the implementation of the UN75 Political Declaration, UN2020 and Together First will launch a series of events to discuss the future of global cooperation. The first event of the series, in partnership with the Group of Women Leaders, the Club de Madrid, and The Elders, will invite prominent leaders to consider how do we achieve a more inclusive and networked multilateralism, as the UN embarks on the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.
The UN75 Political Declaration, adopted by Heads of State on 21 September 2020, recognizes that global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, are interconnected and can only be addressed through “reinvigorated multilateralism”. World leaders agreed that multilateralism, with the United Nations at the center, is not an option but a necessity. The Declaration lays out twelve distinct commitments to move the world forward, from issues that the UN has long focused on (e.g., sustainable development, human rights and gender equality) as well as new concerns (e.g., the need to improve digital cooperation and preparedness for pandemics). The proposed series will explore ways and means by which the international community can work together to effectively address current and future challenges.
In the lead up to the adoption of the UN75 Political Declaration, the letter, A Time for Renewal: Calling for a Strengthened Multilateral System, which was signed by 49 former heads of government, foreign ministers and UN officials, urged world leaders to take stock of present challenges to the UN system by calling for a dedicated intergovernmental process to strengthen and reform the Organization. Similarly, released in May this year and counting over 1,400 endorsements from individuals, networks, and civil society organizations, the UN75 People’s Declaration: Humanity at a Crossroads: Global Solutions for Global Challenges, also called for “an ambitious, nonpartisan, transparent and inclusive process to identify global governance gaps and develop a coherent strategy to fill them to better realize the vision of the UN Charter.”
Significantly, the Political Declaration calls upon the Secretary-General to report back before the end of the current session of the General Assembly, September 2021, with recommendations to advance our common agenda and to respond to current and future challenges. Participants at this online event will be invited to discuss ways to build momentum on UN75 to strengthen global governance innovation.
Speakers:
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Danilo Turk, President of Slovenia (2007-2012)
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence, Ecuador
Aya Chebbi, African Union Youth Envoy
Michèle Griffin, Policy Advisor, Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Moderator:
Ilona Szabo de Carvalho, Executive Director, Igarapé Institute