UNGA’s debate concludes, underscoring challenges of climate change, AI misuse
The United Nations General Assembly’s annual high-level-debate concluded Tuesday, with global leaders, including Pakistan’s caretaker prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, expressing the view that while the U.N. faces institutional challenges, it remains the paramount platform for crafting collective solutions to humanity’s challenges.
Top officials took advantage of this massive turnout to engage in more than 2,000 bilateral meetings under Un roof.
Furthermore, over 13,000 country delegates, 2,600 members of the media, and more than 40,000 other participants were registered for the general debate and its over 100 associated events.
One such event was the kickoff SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Action Weekend on 16-17 September, which brought together civil society, businesses, youth, scientists, local and regional governments, and other stakeholders to mobilize coordinated efforts toward realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all 193 UN Member States in 2015.
In his maiden address to the Assembly on September 22, the Pakistani leader called on the UN Security Council to secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir, which, he said, was the key to peace between Pakistan and India.
“India has evaded implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions which call for the ‘final disposition’ of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN-supervised plebiscite,” Kakar said in his wide-ranging address in which he also outlined Pakistan’s stance on several other subjects on the Assembly’s agenda.
General Assembly President Dennis Francis, in his closing address, highlighted the continued relevance of the General Assembly and the United Nations’ unwavering commitment to delivering peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability to people around the world.
“These developments are a welcome reminder that the United Nations remains focused on the collective challenges of our time,” he said.
Addressing ongoing conflicts globally, President Francis offered his assistance in facilitating peace and friendship dialogues between nations or groups in conflict, stating, “Be assured that I am at your service.”
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, summarizing the high-level week, noted a collective determination among all stakeholders to achieve the ambitious development agenda, especially at the halfway mark in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking to reporters, she also highlighted the importance of resources, citing the growing burden of debt on many countries, preventing them from adequately funding essential services in education and health.
“We are short of the resources but that’s why we’re pushing for the SDG stimulus. That is a low-hanging fruit. That is something we can do with existing resources and institutions. And I hope by the end of this year, we’ll have something to say about that.”
Over the past week, the UN’s principal organ with universal membership heard Heads of States and Governments who outlined various challenges, from the existential threat of climate change to the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).
Preliminary official figures indicated that this year’s high-level week witnessed the largest gathering of world leaders in person at the UN Headquarters in New York since the pandemic, with some 88 Heads of States, 42 Heads of Governments, and over 650 ministers in attendance.
Additionally, Mohammad pointed out that a significant number of commitments were made at the Climate Ambition Summit.
Source(s) & Courtesy: APP