UN Secretary-General 2019 Climate Summit

23 September 2019
UN HQ, New York (USA)

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society.

To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Summit on 23 September to meet the climate challenge. The Summit will showcase a leap in collective national political ambition and it will demonstrate massive movements in the real economy in support of the agenda. Together, these developments will send strong market and political signals and inject momentum in the “race to the top” among countries, companies, cities and civil society that is needed to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Information note

Roadmap to Climate Summit

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FAO’s leader calls for collaboration to “break the cycle” in the Sahel

Tackling challenges in the Sahel will require a “common, coordinated and coherent response” to provide people living in the desert region with viable livelihoods and establish resilient agrifood systems, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said.
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Agriculture holds the key to offering nature-based solutions

As agriculture is directly engaged with climate change, biodiversity, soil fertility and land degradation, it “holds the key” to bringing together often fragmented stakeholders, FAO's Director-General said at an event on “Nature-Based Solutions”.
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A Great Green Wall for Cities

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Director-General Qu Dongyu has announced the Great Green Wall for Cities initiative that aims to support nature-based solutions to climate change.
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FAO report cites 41 countries needing external assistance for food

Some 41 countries, including 31 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food, with conflict and adverse weather conditions - particularly rainfall shortages in Africa - acutely affecting food availability and access, according to FAO's latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation report.
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Italy and FAO advance awareness on the benefits of Mediterranean diet

Access for all to healthy diets such as the Mediterranean diet is critical for achieving the Agenda 2030, and such diets must be protected and promoted. That was the main message at an event today organized by the Government of Italy with support from FAO aimed at deepening understanding of the Mediterranean diet and raising awareness on how it can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
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74th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74)

17-30 September 2019
New York City, US

The 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74) will open on 17 September 2019. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 24 September 2019.

During the week of the debate, several other high-level events also will convene (as of 27 November 2018):

  • On Monday, 23 September, the UN Secretary-General will convene a Climate Summit, and the UNGA will hold a one-day high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC);
  • On Tuesday, 24 September, following the opening of the 74th General Debate, the UNGA will convene a meeting of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which will take place on the afternoon of 24 September and all day on 25 September (SDG Summit);
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United Arab Emirates and FAO team up to boost resilience in Liberia

The United Arab Emirates have agreed to provide $4 million in funding to foster rural development in Liberia in partnership with FAO. The contribution, agreed earlier this week, comes from the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, aims to support 1 500 rural women in three counties.
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World food prices dip in August

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, averaged 169.8 points in August 2019, down 1.1 percent from July while still up 1.1 percent from its August 2018 level.
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Rains improve harvests in Syria but families still struggle to survive

Favourable rains in Syria’s agricultural areas, coupled with improved overall security, have boosted harvests compared to last year, but higher food prices are putting more strain on many Syrians, a new United Nations report has found.
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