Media advisory: UN Women at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78)

The 78th session represents a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since it marks the halfway point to the global goals’ deadline. At the SDG Summit, leaders will review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs, providing high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions. The outcome will be a negotiated political declaration.

In preparation for the SDG Summit, the Generation Equality Midpoint Moment, organized by UN Women and the Governments of Iceland and Tanzania, will be showcased as part of the SDG Acceleration Day on 17 September. Generation Equality is the world’s leading initiative to boost investment and implementation of gender equality. The event will bring together organizations from all corners of society to catalyse progress, push for change, and take bold actions together.

Through side-events, intergenerational and intergovernmental conversations, UN Women will call for urgent action towards gender equality.

Note to media: Events held on UN premises are open only to UN-accredited media. Learn about UN media accreditation.

Key events

Generation Equality Midpoint

When: Sunday, 17 September 2023, 10am–2.45pm EDT

Where: United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber, and online: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1e/k1ek09vhph

The Generation Equality Midpoint will put a spotlight on accountability for gender equality and will launch a call to action to contribute to the UN Secretary-General’s vision for the 2030 Agenda: “Let’s be clear: no country can afford to see this fail.” It is an opportunity to mobilize new commitments and momentum, inspire investment and leadership for impact at scale, and demonstrate how Generation Equality’s multi-stakeholder methodology is driving concrete progress on gender equality. The Governments of Iceland and Tanzania will co-host the Midpoint Moment with UN Women, and stakeholders will be invited to commit and re-commit political, programmatic, and financial support through the Generation Equality multistakeholder platform and methodology.

Spotlight Initiative

When: Sunday, 17 September 2023, 3–4.30pm EDT

Where: United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber, and online: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k11/k11mkyuqzv

The Spotlight Initiative is a global United Nations initiative in partnership with the European Union and other partners aiming to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The event on 17 September will showcase its impressive results on ending violence against women and girls and as an accelerator for all the SDGs, proving that gender-based violence is not only preventable, but that we already have the tools we need to ensure every woman and girl lives a life free from violence. This high-level event will feature statements and conversations with Heads of State; UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed; actress and UN Global Advocate Cecilia Suárez; actress, filmmaker, and philanthropist Natalie Portman; actress and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd; as well as leaders from the European Union, Governments, civil society, the private sector, and other partners. Register for the Spotlight Initiative event.

SDG Summit

When:  18–19 September 2023

Where: United Nations Headquarters

The 2023 SDG Summit will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the SDGs, with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030. Convened by the President of the General Assembly, the Summit will mark the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the SDGs. It will be the centrepiece of the High-level Week of the General Assembly. It will respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world and is expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda. UN Women and UN DESA recently released “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023”, which provides a comprehensive analysis of gender equality progress across all 17 SDGs.

HeForShe Summit

When: Thursday, 21 September 2023, 10am–12pm

Where: Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway, New York, NY 10018) and online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heforshe-2023-summit-tickets-693973612757

The HeForShe movement, one of UN Women’s flagship partnership initiatives, partners with men and boys to advance gender equality through transformative commitments and actions. The Summit is a gathering of HeForShe partners with representation at the highest level and acts as a progress reporting platform with the aim to inspire others to follow suit and take concrete action for gender equality. The event will feature HeForShe Champions, including H.E. the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo; the CEO of HSBC, Michael M. Roberts; and the CEO of Movember, Michelle Terry; as well as thought leaders from the Washington Post and Bloomberg. Register for the HeForShe Summit.