The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will as of tomorrow be attending the High-Level Week of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, in New York, which will bring together the Heads of State and Government and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the 193 Member countries of the organisation. This annual meeting is an opportunity to address global challenges and identify the courses of action to promote peace, security, human rights and sustainable development.
The Spanish delegation participates in this UN General Assembly with the firm intention of reinforcing its commitment to an inclusive and effective multilateralism, which will enable us to build consensus and fight for peace, development, and human rights in an effective, committed, and consistent manner.
The general debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, which will incept tomorrow through to 27th September, is taking place in a convulsive context characterised by the simultaneity and persistence of conflicts. In light of this situation, Spain’s suggestion for the purpose of overcoming the security and humanitarian crises in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Sahel, among other regions of the world, is that urgent action be taken by the international community.
During the High-Level Week, leaders will discuss the situation in the Middle East as well as other conflicts in order to make progress in the search for lasting peace. In addition, they will address priority issues on the global agenda, such as the fight against impunity, cooperation on global health and action on climate change so as to further the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Summit of the Future
The topic of the 79th UNGA session, "Leaving nobody behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations”, reflects the major global concerns and ties in with the main lines of the Summit of the Future (22-23 September).
This summit, which is the central element and guiding thread of the General Assembly - in which Spain will play a very prominent role -, will enable all participants to rethink the multilateral system, the major global challenges and the role of the United Nations in this complicated context.
The participating countries shall debate the multilateral responses to the global challenges arising from the political and economic gap between North and South, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the acceleration of climate emergency and the challenges of digital transition.
Within this framework, the Africa Strategy meeting also has a special mention, during which the transformation and strengthening of our country's relations with the continent will be analysed, making these more strategic, as well as accompanying the economic and social transformation of the countries of this continent, with a particular focus on youth and employment.
The agenda of the High-Level Week is packed with many events, including Spanish leadership in priority issues of the Spanish foreign policy. This is the case of UN Women's celebration of the 10th anniversary of the HeForShe initiative; a round table co-organised alongside Brazil for the promotion of democratic principles and the protection of institutions against extremism; and a meeting within the framework of the Feminist Foreign Policy Plus Group, co-chaired this year by Spain and Mexico.
Ibero-American Agenda
Ibero-America will also play a leading role in this week's agenda at the United Nations, with a greater presence and greater relevance. Minister Albares will once again have the opportunity to thank his Ibero-American colleagues for choosing Spain to host the next Ibero-American Summit.
He will also take advantage of the fact that New York is due to become the capital of world diplomacy during these days to hold an informal EU-CELAC ministerial meeting.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs' agenda also includes a four-way meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil to discuss the situation in Venezuela. Albares will also have meetings with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix; the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini; and the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, among other high-level contacts over the coming week.
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