UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande has issued a roadmap to fulfilling his vision for the 74th session. The road map emphasizes support for SDG 4 (quality education), inclusion, gender equality, financial integrity and events marking the UN’s 75th anniversary.

According to the roadmap dated 19 November 2019, on fulfilling the 2030 Agenda, the President will focus in particular on poverty eradication (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), quality education (SDG 4) and climate action (SDG 13). He will also emphasize their interlinkages and the “interconnected character” of all SDGs.

On SDG 4, the roadmap points to the high global illiteracy rate, noting that “no nation can develop beyond its educational capacity.” The President aims to raise awareness of and mobilize action around five areas: access to quality education; adequate infrastructure for education; quality of teachers; technology; and partnerships.

The President will appoint co-facilitators for negotiations on a declaration to be adopted at the UN’s 75th anniversary event.

Muhammad-Bande also underlines a cross-cutting focus on inclusion, particularly for youth, women and persons with disabilities. As part of this inclusion focus, the President will issue a paper on gender quality and women’s empowerment.

Also on gender equality, which is the subject of SDG 5, the roadmap indicates that the President will convene a one-day, high-level meeting on 23 September 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25). The President also plans to advance: women’s role in peace and security; the importance of women’s participation at all levels of decision making in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts; and the need to develop peace and security policies, plans and programmes with a gender perspective.

On the 75th anniversary of the UN, the roadmap says the President will facilitate preparations by:

• convening a Youth Plenary in conjunction with the Youth Forum (20-23 April 2020);
• establishing modalities for the 26 June 2020 event to commemorate the signing of the UN Charter, and the 24 October 2020 event to commemorate UN Day; and
• appointing co-facilitators to lead intergovernmental negotiations on a declaration to be adopted at the UNGA’s high-level meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary, on 21 September 2020.

In addition, Muhammad-Bande intends to address the need for stronger partnerships to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) on financing for development (FfD). He will publish a paper on initiatives related to combatting illicit financial flows and strengthening good practices on assets return, among other aspects of financial integrity. [Roadmap for 74th UNGA session]