Diplomats have a packed to-do list this September, as the UN General Assembly prepares to open a new session. High-level Week later this month will be a key moment for the UK’s new government to set out its foreign policy priorities, and offers an unparalleled forum for face-to-face diplomacy between leaders on the world’s biggest challenges.

We’re looking forward to joining civil society and diplomats for side events in New York to discuss the future of multilateralism and recommendations for the next UN Secretary-General. That leader needs to be selected by the end of the year–and as concerns grow about the lack of transparency in the Security Council deliberations, we’ll continue to scrutinise the process and highlight the vital role of the wider General Assembly.

In this challenging time for diplomacy, the UN needs the ideas, energy and support of civil society all over the world. This August we were glad to convene experts, activists and some of our members in Geneva as part of a broader international effort to renew and strengthen the people’s movement for the UN. Read on for more!

We’re now planning our programme of events in the UK over the autumn, as well as several key upcoming moments for our campaigns. November’s CCW Review Conference is the critical juncture for the Stop Killer Robots campaign, as governments decide whether negotiations towards a treaty on autonomous weapons can finally move forward.

UNGA 81

Next week, the General Assembly will formally open its 81 session. From the 22-28 September world leaders will gather at UN Headquarters in New York for UNGA High-level week, an opportunity for meetings on key issues including sea level rise, pandemic prevention and nuclear disarmament. Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband are both expected to take part, with support for Ukraine and climate action among their priorities.

You can follow the latest news and what to watch on our UNGA 81 page which we’ll be updating across the month.

UNA-UK at the 44th WFUNA Plenary and World Congress

Last week we joined with UNAs from across the globe at the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) 44th Plenary and World Congress, hosted at WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

We were honoured to host a panel on “The UN’s Legitimacy and Relevance Through Time” featuring UN experts including the veteran mediator Lakhdar Brahimi alongside speakers from Interpeace, the International Peace Institute, the Coalition for the UN We Need, Article 109 and the Government of Norway. Our delegation, made up of representatives from across the UNA-UK network, participated in the youth forum, the election of WFUNA’s leadership and debating of resolutions on WFUNA’s governance. We are delighted that Dorothea Christiana from our delegation, who many of you know as a former Elected Trustee, has been elected to the Executive Committee for WFUNA.

It was a great opportunity to celebrate 80 years of the Peoples’ Movement for the UN, and we look forward to building on connections made with UNAs from across the world.

“Human control is hanging by a thread”: Final meeting on Autonomous Weapons Systems ahead of treaty decision

We attended the final meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, representing the UK Stop Killer Robots coalition.

Over the last decade, the GGE has been working to establish the idea of “meaningful human control” and drafting text which could form the basis of an international treaty on autonomous weapons. This week, states will decide whether to take the next step towards negotiating a treaty.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, recently issued an urgent appeal for States to take action and not lose the “painstaking work” of the GGE. Learn more about what is at stake and stay tuned for how you can get involved with calling on the UK to take action ahead of the CCW.

Finding hope in the work for nuclear disarmament

Progress on nuclear disarmament is slow and hard-won, but there is plenty of encouragement to be found among the dynamic and diverse civil society network working to reduce nuclear risk. Earlier this year, at the NPT Review Conference in New York, we spoke to some of the people driving this work about how they see their role and what gives them hope. Read their perspectives here.

We have exciting updates on our work on nuclear issues coming soon…stay tuned!

Ian Martin on how UK let down its commitment to international law over Gaza, and what it must do to rehabilitate its reputation

Shortly before becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham apologised for Labour’s Gaza response. In an op-ed on our website, UNA-UK Chair and former UN Under-Secretary-General Ian Martin highlights Israel’s flagrant violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank, the UK’s failure to act, and the change in policy required from the new Government to rehabilitate its reputation as a defender of international law. Read the full piece here.

Security Council casts first votes on Secretary-General candidates

The Security Council has now conducted two ‘straw poll’ votes, indicating the level of support among its members for each Secretary-General candidate. In the latest poll on 21 August, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett overtook Rebeca Grynspan as the frontrunner with the most ‘encourage’ votes—though the race remains too close to call. Follow all the latest on the Secretary-General selection on the 1 for 8 Billion website.

Visit the only UN HQ in London: IMO Open House weekend 12-13 September

The International Maritime Organisation, the only UN organisation with Headquarters in London, will once again open its doors to the public this month. Over the weekend of 12 and 13 September, you can explore the IMO building as part of the Open House Festival – find out more here.