78th UN General Assembly session to open | Photo: Getty Images

The 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) commences today, with the first day of debate scheduled for Tuesday 19th.

The UNGA is a centerpiece in the UN annual calendar. Unlike the UN’s other major bodies—namely the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice—the UNGA is notably the only universally representative arm of the United Nations.

The key event at the UNGA this year will be the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, which confers once every four years. This year marks the halfway point to the 2030 deadline for SDG implementation. The conference is expected to reignite a sense of optimism surrounding the 2030 agenda and the 17 global SDGs. The meeting will include heads of state and government representatives as well as international organizations, private sector stakeholders, and youth speakers. Although momentum on this topic seems to be dwindling globally, as other issues including Ukraine, inflation and US-China relations continue to divert attention and resources, expect to see raised ambitions and increased focus on ensuring targets are met because of the conference.