2023-09-19 03:04:00
Tens of thousands of demonstrators prepared the reception in New York: Before the general debate on the 78th UN General Assembly that began today, they called for a rapid move away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas. Among other things, the demonstrators called on US President Joe Biden to do more for climate protection and to declare a climate emergency.
Biden arrived in New York yesterday. Around 150 heads of state and government are expected at the general debate, which will last a week. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg are taking part on behalf of Austria and will speak to the plenary session; a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also planned for Wednesday. According to the UN, the particular focus of the debates is on the implementation of the “Agenda 2030” for peace, prosperity and sustainability. The meeting marks the “halfway point” of the planned implementation of the agenda. The Russian war of aggression once morest Ukraine will also be an issue. There will be a meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday. In this context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also speak in New York today. A meeting with Secretary General Guterres has already been arranged. Zelensky is scheduled to give a speech to the General Assembly.
Far from goals
A two-day “Sustainable Development Goals Summit” (SDG Summit) began on Monday before the general debate. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a “rescue plan” for the 17 sustainability goals and 169 targets in the fight once morest poverty, hunger and inequality as well as for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, which the United Nations agreed on in 2015.
However, the global community is still a long way from achieving this. According to a UN report presented as a mid-term review in May, member states are on track for only 15 percent of the development goals. In more than 30 percent of the goals there has been no change or even regression has been recorded. Progress made in the first few years – for example in combating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality and access to electricity – was partly wiped out by the corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate-related disasters. If things continue as they are, according to the UN, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty and more than 600 million people will be hungry in 2030. The UN member states should formulate national strategies to reduce poverty and inequality, align their budgets to achieve development goals and reform the international financial architecture, said Guterres.
Russian disruptive maneuver
Before the general debate began, a letter from a group of states surrounding Russia caused unrest. In Sunday’s letter, the eleven countries announced a blockade of several declarations that were supposed to be adopted by the global community this week. This includes the text that was intended to reinforce the sustainability goals. As planned, the text was adopted unanimously on Monday. Ultimately, the blockade threat was not followed by any action.
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