UN marks 75 years with virtual meeting as pandemic keeps world leaders at home

Each year in September, the UN Member States meet in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to consider the most pressing global challenges. But this year’s UN General Assembly will be a little different. For the 75th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, the event will be held almost entirely online.

 

As part of the series of UNGA-week side events, Business Fights Poverty, the world’s largest business-led network for social impact, is holding a series of virtual sessions from 21-25 September across a range of topics. The sessions are structured around the following themes: Imagining the Future We Want; Creating an Equitable World; Helping People Survive and Thrive; Building Resilient Livelihoods; and Shaping System-Level Partnerships.

 

Syria’ permanent representative to UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, who is taking part in the activity told the correspondent of the Syrian News Agency (SANA) that economic, social and health challanges that face world countries because of Covid-19 will be the main topics in the current session. 

 

“This year, because of the pandemic, world leaders will be staying away and have been invited to send in pre-recorded videos of their speeches which will be broadcast “as live”. Speeches are expected to be introduced by a New York-based representative of each state, who will be physically present,” al-Jaafari added. 

 

Basma Qaddour