Next week, IOGT International will be represented in New York at the United Nations. IOGT International President will attend a number of high-level meetings and events next week, and the high-light will be the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015, held between September 25 and September 27, 2015. This summit is convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly.
As the United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary and annual session this autumn by launching the sustainable development goals, The Guardian has taken a look at the general assembly’s history and purpose.
To get ready for the SDGs Summit, find all documents here.
The Guardian asks eight questions and offers concise answers for everyone to prepare for the historic event next week. For example questions are about:
What’s the story?
The 70th meeting of the United Nations general assembly (UNGA) is set to open in New York – a key moment for the UN during an important anniversary year. And it’s not just the birthday celebrations that make this a high-profile get-together. This general assembly will see the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, the follow-up to the UN’s millenium development goals which were set in 2000 with a completion date of this year.
What is the UN general assembly?
The UNGA is the democratic heart of the UN, a forum for decision-making where all 193 member states each have a single vote. Unlike the security council, which is dominated by the five permanent members – Russia, UK, US, France and China – every country is invited to send a representative to the general assembly. It was established as a founding institution of the UN in 1945 as the “deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations”.
The general assembly has a range of vital decisions to make within the UN system, including appointing the secretary general, electing the non-permanent members of the security council and approving the UN regular budget.
Most importantly, it is the main global forum for discussing international political cooperation, threats to peace and economic development, as well as the huge range of social, humanitarian and cultural issues that come under the remit of the United Nations.
Stay tuned for real-time updates from New York and this historic moment. IOGT International is proud to represent the expertise and voices of our Member Organizations at the United Nations.
