A list of key upcoming meetings and events that have implications for global affairs compiled by the Global Observatory.
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 12: United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Glasgow, United Kingdom
Delayed from November 2020 due to COVID-19, the United Nations (UN) COP26 summit is taking place this month in Glasgow, where global leaders are meeting to update their climate commitments under the presidency of the United Kingdom. The conference follows the release of the UN’s IPCC report which labeled climate change a “code red for humanity.” COP26 is being considered as a landmark event and is expected to draw between 20,000 and 25,000 attendees.
The goals of the conference include agreeing targets that secure global net zero by mid-century and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees; adapting to protect communities and natural habitats; mobilizing climate finance; and accelerating collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his hopes were “unfulfilled” by the climate agreements reached at the Group of 20 summit last month. Opening the conference on Monday, Guterres told world leaders that we are “digging our own graves” and “treating nature like a toilet.” He urged world leaders to “choose to safeguard our future and save humanity.”
NOVEMBER 1-5: Joint Ministerial Conference on Youth in Regional Peace and Security, Nairobi, Kenya
A high-level ministerial conference on the role of regional economic communities in promoting the youth, peace and security agenda in the Horn of Africa is taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from November 1-5. The high-level conference is organized by the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the government of Kenya, and civil society organizations. It will be attended by government ministers and deputy ministers from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, South Sudan, and Somalia, as well as youth leaders, the AU African Youth Ambassador for Peace, and development partners.
NOVEMBER 4: Special Meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, New York
A special meeting of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee will take place on November 4 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Member states, UN bodies, international and regional organizations, and civil society groups are invited to reflect on the achievements of the counterterrorism agenda and discuss next steps to strengthen counterterrorism efforts and architecture, in compliance with international law. The meeting will be livestreamed on UN Web TV.
NOVEMBER 11-13: Paris Peace Forum, Paris and online
The fourth edition of the Paris Peace Forum will be held in a hybrid format from November 11-13, with heads of state and government, representatives from nongovernmental organizations and companies, and individuals from around the world coming together in Paris and online. This year, 80 projects have been selected across eight themes, including fighting COVID-19, protecting civic space and journalism, South-South cooperation, gender equality, Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity, and reforming capitalism. The focus of the event will be spurring inclusive COVID-19 recovery by addressing gaps in global governance; initiatives to protect the global commons; and new principles of action for the post-COVID world.
NOVEMBER 17-18: Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society Global Meeting, Paris and online
The global meeting of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society will be held in Paris and online from November 15-19. The meeting aims to offer new solutions to the global gender gap, which has been widened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues to be discussed include climate action, technology, health, and business.
NOVEMBER 22-23: United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the Global Plan of Action on Trafficking in Persons
The presidency of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly will convene the quadrennial high-level meeting to assess progress in implementing the 2010 Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons on November 22-23. The meeting will reflect on recent achievements in and continuing challenges to preventing and ending “modern slavery.”
NOVEMBER 24-26: European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, Portugal
The triennial European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, organized by the Europe and Central Asia office of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe, will take place in Portugal from November 24-26. The forum will focus on the systemic and compounding nature of risks to the region in light of COVID-19 and the climate emergency. It will explore new avenues in the implementation of the Sendai Framework, New Urban Agenda, and Paris Agreement. Outcomes from the forum will be included in the UN secretary-general’s report to the General Assembly, as well as at the high-level political forum in New York and at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.
NOVEMBER 25-26: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), online
The thirteenth ASEM summit, hosted by Cambodia, will take place virtually on November 25 and 26. The summit, postponed in 2020, will include 21 Asian countries, 30 European countries, the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the European Union. The theme of the summit is strengthening multilateralism for shared growth.
NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 1: World Health Assembly Special Session to Consider a Pandemic Convention
On November 29 and December 1, the World Health Assembly will hold a special session for member states to consider the benefits of developing a World Health Organization (WHO) convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response. A convention could establish principles, priorities, and targets for pandemic preparedness and response through a legally-binding international framework. Potential goals could include building national, regional, and global resilience to pandemics and other global health emergencies; mobilizing collective international efforts necessary to prevent, rapidly detect, and effectively respond to outbreaks of disease with pandemic potential; ensuring universal and equitable access to countermeasures for pandemic preparedness and response; and supporting global coordination through a stronger WHO.
Upcoming Elections
NOVEMBER 7: General elections, Nicaragua
NOVEMBER 14: Presidential elections, Bulgaria
NOVEMBER 14: Legislative elections, Argentina
NOVEMBER 21: General elections, Chile
NOVEMBER 28: General elections, Honduras
