The United Nations (U.N.) has been working towards many goals, often out of the spotlight. Many see the chaotic world around us and wonder what the U.N. is doing to help, but the U.N. has been helping behind the scenes than most know.
In 2023, the U.N.’s focus was the Sustainable Development Goals, which they hope to achieve by 2030. Some of the 17 goals include eliminating poverty and hunger, and improving access to quality education. The Sustainable Development Goals Summit to discuss these goals was held on Sept. 18-19, and marked the half-way point to the deadline the U.N. set in 2016 . It responded to the impact of multiple crises facing the world and reignited a sense of hope, optimism and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.
Entering 2024, our world is filled with chaos and heartbreak. Conflicts persist, claiming tens of thousands of civilian lives. At the same time, the planet’s peril is marked by record-breaking temperatures, a worsening effect of climate change.
In his New Year’s message, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the U.N., expressed that “humanity is strongest when we stand together. 2024 must be a year for rebuilding trust and restoring hope.”
Guterres highlighted the scarcity of trust and emphasized that “pointing fingers and pointing guns lead nowhere.”
Guterres’ message highlights the U.N.’s agenda for 2024, which is to unite our fractured world with the Summit of the Future. The Summit is a high-level event which will be held in Sept. 2024, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future.
We already have various agreements on international cooperation, but the Summit of the Future will look at how to better cooperate on goals like the Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit will plan on how to accommodate the needs of the present while preparing for the future. This will be accomplished by making ¨The Pact for the Future¨ which will include goals such as reaffirming the U.N. Charter, reinvigorating multilateralism, boosting implementation of existing commitments, agreeing on solutions to new challenges and restoring trust between countries and in the world.
Aside from the Summit of the Future, the U.N. has many plans in store for 2024. Starting off the year strong, the U.N. plans to ramp up and monitor the aid sent to Gaza. Reconstruction of damaged areas is also high on the U.N.’s list, according to the newly appointed Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.
Also in January, the U.N. is holding the first International Day of Clean Energy on Jan. 26th, which reflects the growth in using renewable energy sources.
In February, the state of the environment will be the focus of the U.N. Environment Assembly, held between Feb. 26 March 1. This will focus on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
February 2024 marks 2 years of the war in Ukraine, and the U.N. continues to provide humanitarian aid throughout the crisis.
To wrap up February, the U.N. switches gears to celebrate International Mother Language Day, raising awareness for multilingual education.
For March, the U.N.’s focus is the fight for women’s rights. The high-profile Commission on the Status of Women will be meeting March 11-22 to emphasize continuing progress on gender equality, addressing poverty and financing with a gender perspective.
In hopes of meeting the sustainable development goals deadline, the U.N. will hold World Water Day on March 22nd with the help of actor Matt Damon to raise awareness of the fight for clean water.
To start off April, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), will hold their 2024 meeting from April 15-26, inviting indigenous leaders to speak about the most prominent issues in their communities.
The U.N. reproductive rights agency will release its annual State of World Population report on April 16 in a continuing effort to address overpopulation issues around the world.
To address growing fears about AI, the WSIS+20 Forum will convene from May 27-31. The AI for Good Global Summit will be held from May 30-31 Both will discuss the challenges and opportunities of new technology, and the importance of international agreements to govern its use.
June focuses on a path to prosperity for landlocked countries, and the third edition LLDC3 will take place on June 18-23 focusing on the U.N.’s new development agenda.
Even though 2024 has just started, the U.N. has already packed the first half of the year with activities aimed at patching up and propelling the world forward. As we enter 2024, our world is filled with chaos, and it often seems impossible to make a difference, but the U.N. is working hard to improve our world.
