Round-table discussion with the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and in partnership with the National Library of Latvia, on July 22, 2022, held a round-table discussion with the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid.

Sustainable development has been at the forefront of international political and economic discussions and policies for decades. The United Nations has been a natural driving force in ensuring the planet's sustainability, with the Agenda 2030 being one of the flagship missions. After two years of global virus pandemic, the current global economic and geopolitical climate has been made even worse by Russia’s massive military aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s actions challenge the rules-based international order that the United Nations has stood for and represents. The instruments of the UN to contribute to solving both regional and global challenges are being questioned yet again. That relates, among others, also to ensure joint efforts for sustainable development, including battling climate change, zeroing hunger, providing education and gender equality, and peace and justice across the globe.

Therefore, the event seeks to achieve two strongly linked goals. First, in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, identifying the toolbox for protecting the rules-based international order is crucial for achieving Agenda 2030 goals. Second, to assess the UN’s ability to continue providing progress towards Agenda 2030 goals in the current global political and economic climate.