Heard at 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Week 2025: Digital Issues
Global Policy Forum Briefing #43 Against the background of proliferating global crises and conflicts, a major issue for many world […]
Heard at UNHQ
Heard at 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Week 2025: A struggle between multilateralism and multipolarity?
The primary focus for many world leaders during the 80th UN General Assembly High-level Week (23 to 29 September 2025) was the crisis in multilateralism, the proliferation of conflicts and geopolitical and geo-economic tensions. Many argued against the “might is right” mentality prominent in many areas, notably the Security Council, and also manifest in multilateral trade and the international financial architecture. How these tensions will shape, and be shaped by, the UN80 Initiative will be played out during this 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
Briefings, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform
UN General Assembly 2023: Shifting Dynamics of Global Governance
The Global Policy Watch Team
Many world leaders during the UN GA High-level General Debate referenced the sorry state of multilateralism and the various alignments and groupings, some to counter the lack of agency and redress power asymmetries across multiple policy streams. In conjunction with the historical responsibilities of developed countries for carbon emissions, many called for reparations for slavery and colonialism, highlighting the historical injustice that continues to disadvantage developing countries. Reform of the international financial architecture featured consistently on the agenda, as did a focus on demands for action on Loss and Damage at the upcoming COP 28 and the devastating debt distress, especially in small- and medium-sized countries. Read more
Briefings, People-centered Multilateralism
ECOSOC HLPF on Sustainable Development 2023: Perspectives, Priorities and Positions
The GPW Team in collaboration with students from Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs at The New School.
In 2023, the HLPF took place from 10 – 19 July, and the main SDGs subjected to in-depth review were SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities and SDG 17 on partnerships for the Goals. Read more
Briefings, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform
2022 UN General Assembly High-level Debate: perspectives from the Global South
The GPW Team
In September 2022, heads of state and government spoke at the UN Headquarters on the theme “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. Secretary-General António Guterres’s message was clear: “Our world is in peril and paralyzed”. He launched the High-level General Debate bluntly: “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther.” He urged, “We need action across the board.”
These concerns reverberated throughout the high-level session. This briefing contains a sampling from countries of the Global South. Read more
Briefings, People-centered Multilateralism
Heard at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly High-level meetings
Against the backdrop of COVID-19’s ongoing impact on economies and societies worldwide, the United Nations is bringing the lens of COVID-19 recovery to its High level meetings. September saw the launch of the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Our Common Agenda on 12 September’, the opening of the UN General Debate on 14 September and a series of High-level meetings ranging from sustainable development to nuclear disarmament. Read more
Briefings, Economic justice
Heard during UN LDC5 preparations
By Alexa Sabatini
Ambassador Fatima highlights the drastic consequences the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on LDC countries. Referring to the scheduled process of LDC “graduation” out of that category, managed by the UN Committee on Development Policy, she underlined the way in which the pandemic has upended progress since the last LDC conference. Read more
Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, People-centered Multilateralism
Heard at the 2020 UN High-level Political Forum
By Barbara Adams, Carter Boyd and Karen Judd
“The world is going through a public health crisis which is turning into a global economic and social crisis. The HLPF is one of the first major intergovernmental meetings with universal participation and broad stakeholder engagement since the onset of the crisis. Read more
Articles, Economic justice
UN75 Political Declaration: Perspectives on the lynchpin role of UN financing
By Barbara Adams
The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations as well as the beginning of the final 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the wider 2030 Agenda. The Secretary-General, UN leadership and various Member States have been highlighting the importance of the 75th Anniversary as the opportunity to address challenges to global governance and reinvigorate the UN System with what is needed to deliver meaningful change to people’s lives worldwide. Read more
Articles, Global digital justice
Human Rights in the Digital Age: Challenging Issues on the UN Agenda
By Elena Marmo
The potential and challenges of the digital economy are emerging steadily on the UN agenda. The UN General Assembly’s Committee on Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Issues (Third Committee) closed its 74th session in November 2019 adopting over 60 resolutions on a wide range of subjects, only one of which (A/C.3/74/L.11) addressed digital technologies. Read more