Navigating Global Goals Week 2024
A comprehensive guide for SDG content at UNGA 79
The 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is just six years away, leaving precious little time to achieve these ambitious targets. With many goals lagging dangerously behind, each international development gathering now carries heightened urgency. This urgency will be on full display during the second half of September at the 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the side events of Global Goals Week. During these meetings, global leaders, activists, and innovators will come together to accelerate progress and reinvigorate commitments to the SDGs.
This year’s events come at a critical moment, as conversations around climate change, growing inequality, and financial reform become more pressing than ever. With key summits, high-stakes negotiations, and cross-sector collaborations, UNGA offers an important opportunity to spotlight gaps, propose solutions, and rally international momentum.
With thousands of sessions happening during this period, which deserve your attention?
In this article, we’ll guide you through the must-follow events, explain their significance, and provide ways for you to engage with the pivotal discussions shaping our shared future. As always, Our focus is on how organizations are tracking and reporting the Global Goals.
- UNGA Events
- UN General Assembly September 22–30
- Summit of the Future September 22–23 - Primary Global Goals Week Events
- Science Summit September 10–27
- International Conference on Sustainable Development September 19–21
- Gates Foundation Goalkeepers September 23
- Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting September 23–24
- Concordia Annual Summit September 23–25
- WEF Sustainable Development Impact Meetings September 23–27
- Devex @ UNGA79 September 24–26 - Other Events
- SDG Innovation Challenge September 12–14
- Changemaker Summit September 14
- Aspire 2030 Hackathon September 12–23
- System Change Summit September 21
- Forum of the Future September 22
- Climate Week NYC September 22–29
- OpenAI at UNGA September 23
- MIT Solve September 23
- Future of Sciences Forum September 23
- UN Private Sector Forum September 23
- UN Global Compact Leaders Summit September 24
- Sustainability Summit September 24
- Future of Technology Forum September 25
- Global Goals Challenge September 26–29
UNGA Events
UN General Assembly
Technically, UNGA79 began on September 10 and lasts an entire year, but the High Level Meetings and General Debate will run from September 22–30. General debate will take place September 24–28 and on September 30. There are also four High-Level meetings:
- Summit of the Future: September 22–23
- Plenary on Sea Level Rise: September 25
- Plenary on International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: September 26
- Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance: September 26
You can learn more about these sessions, and find the links for summaries and UN Web TV coverage on the official website:
https://www.un.org/en/ga/79/meetings/
Summit of the Future
While officially a part of UNGA79, the Summit of the Future deserves special attention due to its focus on the Sustainable Development Goals. This high-level meeting will take place from September 22–23 and will focus on adopting three significant documents:
- The Pact for the Future reinforces global commitments to multilateralism, sustainable development, peace, and human rights, while advocating for reforms in international governance to address emerging global challenges and opportunities.
- The Declaration on Future Generations emphasizes the responsibility of present generations to safeguard the rights, well-being, and prosperity of future generations, with a focus on intergenerational equity, sustainable development, and long-term global peace.
- The Global Digital Compact outlines a framework for universal internet access, data governance, human rights in digital spaces, and responsible AI development, aimed at fostering an inclusive, fair, and secure digital future for all.
All sessions will be available on UN Web TV and more information can be found on the website:
https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future
Primary Global Goals Week Events
GGW has traditionally been less of a singular event, and more a series of activities, serving as a platform for a wide range of SDG-related meetings, initiatives, and opportunities for direct action. This year, Global Goals Week will take place from September 20–29.
For 2024, events are expected to gather more than 170 partners from civil society, business, academia, and the UN system, all focused on advancing the 2030 Agenda.
Here are a few of the key events we, along with our colleagues at StartingUpGood, will be watching closely:
Science Summit
September 10–27
For two weeks, delegates will discuss how science can positively impact the SDGs and outline significant findings related to this development work. This event is of particular interest to our team due to its focus on data science.
International Conference on Sustainable Development
September 19–21
Hosted by UN SDSN, ICSD focuses on practical solutions for achieving the SDGs. With a balanced mix of oral, poster, and plenary presentations, it is one of our favorite events for understanding what is happening on the ground.
Gates Foundation Goalkeepers
September 23
It is likely that many of the events during Global Goals Week will dwell on the negatives — areas where we are falling behind in international development. Historically, the Goalkeeper event takes a different approach celebating the areas where progress is being made.
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/the-goalkeepers/
Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
September 23–24
The CGI event brings together leaders in government, business, and civil society to discuss international development. It is known for having one of the most impressive speaker lists of any event during UNGA.
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative-september-2024-meeting/
Concordia Annual Summit
September 23–25
Like the events hosted by the Gates and Clinton foundations, the Concordia summit focuses on bringing together diverse voices from a wide range of expertise with a primary focus on public-private collaboration.
WEF Sustainable Development Impact Meetings
September 23–27
This annual meeting hosted by the World Economic Forum focuses specifically on the interface between business leaders, policy makers, and civil society organizations and discusses approaches to making a positive impact.
Devex @ UNGA79
September 24–26
Devex is known for fostering engaging and thought-provoking conversations. During UNGA79, those discussions will focus on climate change, innovation, partnerships, and system change.
Other Events
In addition to the events above, which our team will be covering in-depth, the following are also on our radar:
SDG Innovation Challenge
September 12–14
Changemaker Summit
September 14
Aspire 2030 Hackathon
September 12–23
Global Hackathon | ASPIRE 2030
ASPIRE 2030 | Learning Planet | UNESCO | KIDsforSDGs
www.aspire2030.org
System Change Summit
September 21
Forum of the Future
September 22
Climate Week NYC
September 22–29
OpenAI at UNGA
September 23
MIT Solve
September 23
Future of Sciences Forum
September 23
UN Private Sector Forum
September 23
UN Global Compact Leaders Summit
September 24
Sustainability Summit
September 24
Future of Technology Forum
September 25
Global Goals Challenge
September 26–29
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Disclaimer: Generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini were used in the creation of this article to assist with summarization and proof reading.
