The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) convened the week of Sept. 22 in New York City under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.”
This year’s session emphasized global commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and collective action for peace and sustainability. World leaders and diplomats addressed a variety of topics, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), climate change and nuclear weapons, all while reaffirming the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Among those in attendance were students and faculty from the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
“This is an incredibly important time for countries to have critical conversations,” Dr. Courtney Smith, dean of the school of diplomacy, said in an interview with CBS News.
Representatives from student-led diplomacy organizations, such as the U.N. Association of America SHU Chapter (UNA-SHU) and the SHU chapter of the John Quincy Adams Society (JQAS), attended a series of events throughout the week, gaining firsthand exposure to the complexities of international relations.
Benjamin Barry, a sophomore diplomacy major and member-at-large of the JQAS, attended two conferences: “Empowering Civil Society,” sponsored by the Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) and hosted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and the Hague Group conference, hosted by the New York Society for Ethical Culture.
“[An] important issue I saw discussed was the current and ongoing genocide in Gaza, with Israel having killed hundreds of journalists, tens of thousands of children and civilians, and flattened over 70% of Palestinian’s homes,” Barry said.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the keynote speaker at this event.
“[Petro’s] visa was…revoked right before he spoke, actually requiring his speaking time to be pushed up so he could make his flight,” Barry said. “This demonstrated to me the attack on free speech that we are currently experiencing in this country, and an interesting moment to witness firsthand.”
Barry’s experience at the CCSD event was different from his experience at the Hague Group. At the CCSD event, he was invited to speak on the panel, where he discussed the need for a unified platform or space for Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other international organizations to collaborate and share resources to ensure their survival.
“Even though I was only one of two college students there, my voice was heard and represented when I was given the chance to share my thoughts and speak,” Barry said.
Students also attended the 6th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Universal Health Coverage and Global Health at the U.N. Headquarters. Co-hosted by the countries of Georgia, Japan, and Thailand, the meeting focused on sharing ideas and initiatives for strategic investments in health systems. Delegations from UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) presented initiatives advancing global health.
Avery Kachmarsky, a sophomore diplomacy major, said Dr. Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, the minister of health of Slovenia’s speech, stood out to him.
“It was interesting to hear how Slovenia views universal health coverage and how it’s covered by law,” he said. “The Minister stressed that UHC contributes to lower poverty rates in Slovenia by protecting citizens from the financial burdens of health costs.”
Junior diplomacy major Neve Walker, who also attended the event, said the meeting “highlighted both the progress made and the ongoing challenges in ensuring young people have a voice in shaping global policy.”
The UNGA ultimately served as an opportunity for SHU diplomacy students to witness and participate in global policymaking.
For a full summary of events and discussions from the UNGA, click here.
Allison Bennett is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at allison.bennett@student.shu.edu.
