The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73) will open on 18 September 2018. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 25 September 2018, and is scheduled to last for nine working days.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President-elect of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), announced in July 2018 that the theme of the general debate will be, ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.’ The list of speakers will be here. In her opening statement to UNGA 73, UNGA 73 President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces outlined seven priority themes for the session, to: promote gender equality; promote and implement new global compacts on migration and refugees; highlight innovative thinking around the future of work; effort to protect the environment, particularly plastics pollution; raise awareness on persons with disabilities; implement the reform of the UN system; and promote peace.

On Monday, 24 September, the UNGA will hold a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in honor of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. The plenary will adopt a political declaration negotiated by Member States. In May 2018 the Permanent Representatives of South Africa and Ireland, serving as co-facilitators, began consulting with governments on the content of the declaration. The SDG Knowledge Hub summary of the statements and outcome from this event is here.

On Wednesday, 26 September, the UNGA will hold a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as agreed by Member States in February 2018. The SDG Knowledge Hub has reported on those consultations here. The SDG Knowledge Hub summary of this event is here.

On Thursday, 27 September, the UN will hold a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will be the third high-level meeting of the UNGA on the issue. SDG Knowledge Hub coverage of this process can be accessed here.

A number of events will take place in parallel to the opening of the 73rd session of the UNGA under the banners of Global Goals Week 2018 and Climate Week NYC 2018.

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dates: 18 September – 5 October 2018
location: New York City, US
contact: Office of UNGA President