To [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
Just over a year from now, the UN will commemorate its 75th anniversary with a world summit to explore how the organisation needs to adapt to address the major challenges facing humanity.
This question is highly relevant to almost the major issues being discussed this September around the opening of the UN General Assembly from action on climate change to achieving the SDGs to universal health. Addressing the most pressing global threats require stronger and more effective forms of international cooperation to make progress.
This September there will be a packed agenda, but given the relevance of next year’s process, it is vital that attention is given to UN75 this September, otherwise the opportunity could be squandered by leaving preparations until too late.
We urge that you to use this September as an opportunity to look ahead to the opportunities presented by the UN’s 75th anniversary process and:
- Include in relevant speeches the need to make the most of the UN’s 75th anniversary to strengthen multilateralism.
- Make a donation to the UN@75 Trust Fund set up by the UN to support the process.
- Declare their intention to attend next year’s summit on 21 September 2020 at the highest level and challenge others to do the same.
- Call for civil society inclusion in all discussions and activities around the future of the UN.
- Highlight the ways in which progress on the SDGs, climate, cyber security and other major challenges are dependent on a healthy international rules-based system.
The more countries that unite around this positive agenda to strengthen international cooperation the more likely it is to be successful.
We stand ready to work with you in this regard and look forward to receiving your response to this letter.
Yours sincerely,
[NAME]