In Focus: 75th session of the UN General Assembly

UN logo in the General Assembly hall at UN headquarters in New York. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

Events | News | Speeches and Statements | Top stories | Webcasts | Social media

The 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 75) will open on 15 September, with the High-level General Debate taking place from 22 to 26 September and concluding on 29 September 2020. Under the theme, “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism – confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action”, the General Assembly will mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations through a High-level meeting on 21 September.

The 75th session of UNGA comes a quarter century after the adoption of the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, a comprehensive blueprint for women’s rights and gender equality around the world. The session will mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action with a High-level event where world leaders are expected to present actions to accelerate the full realization of gender equality.

With COVID-19 continuing to disrupt lives and economies around the world and putting at risk the hard-won gains of women’s rights, gender equality is on top of the agenda for decision-makers this year as they convene, mostly virtually, at UNGA 75.

Through a host of side-events, intergenerational and intergovernmental conversations, UN Women is spotlighting the need to place women and girls front and centre of COVID-19 response. As part of its Generation Equality campaign and Forum, UN Women will convene women and youth leaders and diverse partners to catalyze collective action for gender equality.

Watch this space for news and updates on gender equality at UNGA 75.

Top stories

25 Years of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

Layla Naffa at UN Women headquarters in New York. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
A look back: Twenty-five years ago, they were at the Fourth World Conference on Women
Participants at the Non-Governmental Organizations Forum meeting held in Huairou, China, as part of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China on 4-15 september 1995. UN Photo/Milton Grant
Five big wins ushered in by the landmark Beijing Platform for Action
25 years of progress and promises for women’s rights

COVID-19, Women and the Economy

illustration of women waving an equal pay banner
Everything you need to know about pushing for equal pay
Riya Akter, 22, is an apparel worker, just like her husband. Asked if she was afraid of becoming infected with coronavirus, she said work came first and needed to be done, otherwise there would not be food on the table. She works while maintaining social distance with other workers as ready made garment (RMG) factories reopened amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh. May 2020. Photo: UN Women/Fahad Abdullah Kaizer
COVID-19 and its economic toll on women: The story behind the numbers
Women leaders of all ages at the Democracy Day celebrations in 2011. The celebration was organized by UN Women and the Institute of Social Studies to recognize the work of elected women representatives around India. The Constitution of India mandates the reservation of 1/3 seats for women in local bodies. Many states now also have 50 percent reservation for women. Photo: UN Women/Ganganjit Singh
Why is women’s leadership not in the headlines? Five stories of women’s leadership

Social media

#UNGA. Generation Equality.

As world leaders meet virtually for #UNGA to find solutions to the most pressing issues of our time, this is our opportunity to make our voices heard through social media! Share your message of equality using #GenerationEquality with GIFs, data cards and more available in our social media package in English, French and Spanish.

Get started here: https://trello.com/b/ebcAYHPl


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Previous UNGAs: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012