The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will open on Tuesday, 10 September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The Assembly will convene the second High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) on 26 September 2024.
AMR is one of the pressing public health threats globally, accounting for 1.27 million deaths annually. Uncontrolled, AMR is expected to lower life expectancy and lead to unprecedented health expenditure and economic losses.
Antimicrobial-resistant infections know no borders, meaning no single country can respond to AMR alone. The High-Level meeting is a historic opportunity for world leaders to collectively address AMR's looming threat to global health, and food security, and efforts to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 79th session comes at a time when global efforts to accelerate progress towards the 17 SDGs is of the particular essence and urgency. The world is off track to achieve the SDG health targets by 2030 as it reels from the COVID-19 pandemic and is confronted with multiple humanitarian, social and climate crises.
Millions of people can still not access lifesaving and health-enhancing interventions. The significance of health as a precondition, outcome, and reflection of sustainable development cannot be overstated - there can be no sustainable development without health.
During the 79th session, several other high-level events to address health challenges will be held, including the Summit of the Future (22-23 September), the General Debate (24-28 September), High-level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise (25 September), High-level Meeting: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (26 September) and several Member State and partner side events, including WHO-sponsored events.
WHO leadership and senior officials will participate in several of the events to advocate the importance of ensuring strong pandemic preparedness and response, health financing, and equitable access to healthcare, including digital health.
Watch the meetings virtually or in person
The meetings can be viewed live on UN WebTV. Non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and members of the private sector planning to attend in person must refer to the information on special accreditation provided upon registration.
Journalists who do not already have a UN media Pass must apply for media accreditation to cover UNGA79 by 30 August 2024. Visit the MALU Accreditation page for instructions and link to the application form.
WHO events at UNGA 79
19 September 9:30-10:45 | Building a future for all ages: Intergenerational solidarity for inclusive, just, and sustainable societies
Sponsors: WHO (HQ/HEP/DHA) and Philippines, Portugal, UNDESA, HelpAge Int’l
Location: Virtual only, roundtable, register via this link bit.ly/SOTF-GCCA
21 September, 10:00-11:30 | Life Course Approach and Intergenerational Health: Launch of WHO Framework on Operationalizing a Life Course Approach
Sponsors: WHO and UNDESA, UNFPA, HelpAge Int’l, Japan, Dominican Republic
Location: Virtual only, Link to registration with agenda here
21 September, 11:15-12:30 | Multistakeholder Dialogue on National Digital Health Transformation
Theme: Supporting Health Systems of the Future through Robust Foundations and Digital Public Infrastructure
Sponsors: WHO and International Telecommunications Union
Location: In-person only at UNHQ Conf Rm 6
22 September, 8:30-10:30 | PMNCH Annual Accountability Breakfast on Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and Well-being
Sponsors: WHO and UNICEF, UNFPA, Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF), Align MNH, White Ribbon Alliance
Location: Panel Discussion (Hybrid) at the Harvard Club
22 September, 9:30-11:00 | How and Why Business can Prioritise Support to Parents and Caregivers
Sponsors: WHO and Global Initiative to Support Parents, Royal Foundation UK, LEGO Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Location: Panel discussion at Doris Duke Foundation, Orchid Room
22 September, 19:00-21:00 | Every Child Protected: Global Goals Dinner
Sponsors: WHO and Children’s Investment Foundation Fund, Project Everyone
Location: Closed dinner with press call at Goals House, Central Park
23 September, 8:00-10:00 | Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights: advancing the agenda for a sustainable future
Sponsors: WHO and UNESCO, Botnar Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Guttmacher Institute, Family Planning 2030, International Association of Adolescent Health, UNWomen, Yield Hub, Population Council, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Plan International, UNFPA
Location: Westin Grand Central and hybrid, reservation required
23 September, 12:00-13:00 | The Health Argument of Climate Action
Sponsors: WHO and United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Brazil, UK, Malawi
Location: Hybrid Meeting at UNHQ CR6, Register here
23 September, 13:15-14:30 | Innovative Approaches to Global Heath Financing: The Health Impact Investment Platform and the Investment Round
Sponsors: WHO and European Investment Bank
Location: High-level roundtable at UNHQ CR6 (by invitation and on UN Web TV)
23 September, 14:00-16:30 | Combating Climate Change and Its Devastating Impact on the Path to Ending TB
Sponsors: WHO and Brazil
Location: Westin Grand Central (Register here)
23 September, 18:00 | Harnessing digital technologies for noncommunicable diseases: Catalysing country action with integrated solutions for health
Sponsors: WHO
Location: Lexington Hotel
23 September, 18:00 | 4th Ministerial Conference for Road Safety
Sponsors: Morocco, FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, and WHO
Location: Westin Grand Central
24 September, 7:15-8:15 | Third Annual Gathering of the Heads of State and Government for the prevention and control of Noncommunicable Diseases: On the road to the 2025 UNGA high-level meeting
Sponsors: WHO and Antigua and Barbuda
Location: High-level breakfast side event at UNHQ West Terrace
24 September, 10:00-15:00 | Food Day (part of NYC Climate Week) – multiple events
Sponsors: WHO and The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Plant Works
Location: Pier 60
24 September, 15:00-16:00 (TBC) | Securing the health of every woman, child and adolescent: Political leadership to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
Sponsors: WHO and South Africa, UNICEF
Location: UNHQ (TBC)
24 September, 16:00-19:00 | Together for Nutrition
Sponsors: WHO and UNICEF, UN Women, World Bank, France, Japan, the United States of America, Scaling Up Nutrition, and Stronger Foundations for Nutrition
Location: UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, NYC (Zoom)
25 September, 12:00-14:00 | Third Annual Multistakeholder Gathering on Tackling Inequities in Noncommunicable Diseases
Sponsors: WHO and NCD Alliance
Location: Harvard Club
25 September, 13:15-14:30 | Fostering an Equitable Global Response to AMR
Sponsors: WHO and UN Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Paraguay, Barbados
Location: UNHQ, Conf Rm 11 (UN Web TV)
25 September, 13:15-14:45 | Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of UHC
Sponsors: WHO and Thailand, Japan, Georgia
Location: Panel discussion at UNHQ CR5 (UN Web TV)
25 September, 17:30-20:00 | UNGA 2024 High-level Meeting on AMR and beyond: Bringing the voices and perspectives of the Low-and middle-income countries
Sponsors: WHO and International Center for Antimicrobial Resistance
Location: Event and reception at Westin Grand Central
25 September, 18:00 | Annual meeting of the Friends of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental health
Sponsors: WHO
Location: Virtual or in-person (TBC)
25 September, 18:00-19:00 | High-level event hosted by the Pandemic Fund in partnership with WHO
Sponsors: WHO, World Bank (Pandemic Fund)
Location: Hybrid and Millennium Hilton, RSVP in-person attendance via this link, RSVP virtual attendance via this link
25 September | Fast-tracking health impact in countries: Using data and digital innovations to reach Sustainable Development Goals
Sponsors: Saudi Arabia and WHO
Location: (TBC) Panel discussion, by invitation
26 September, 8:00-9:30 | Addressing AMR Challenges Including in Migrant and Refugee Populations
Sponsors: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and WHO
Location: Hybrid meeting at UNHQ Conf Rm 12 (UN Web TV)
26 September, 8:00-9:30 | AMR Media Event or Breakfast (TBC): Antimicrobial resistance has a human cost; and it threatens our shared future
Sponsors: WHO
Location: Media Event at UNHQ (TBC)
26 September, 16:00-18:00 | The Lusaka Agenda: Optimizing Partnerships to Achieve UHC
Sponsors: WHO and UN Foundation, Nigeria
Location: Roundtable (by invitation only) at The Lexington Hotel
26 September, 16:00-18:00 | From Awareness to Action: rapid response to the obesity epidemic as a public health emergency
Sponsors: WHO and Columbia University, City of New York, World Economic Forum
Location: In-person meeting at American Heart Association