UN to launch biggest-ever global conversation on the world's future to mark its 75th anniversary in 2020

On October 24, to mark UN Day, Secretary-General António Guterres announced that next year’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations will feature a large and inclusive global conversation on the role of global cooperation in building the future we want.

Starting in January 2020, the United Nations will hold dialogues around the world and across borders, sectors and generations. The aim is to is reach the global public; to listen to their hopes and fears; and to learn from their experiences. 

The United Nations was founded in 1945 to support collective action to realize peace, development and human rights for all. The UN75 initiative seeks to spark dialogue and action on how we can build a better world despite the many challenges we face.

While UN75 seeks to drive conversation in all segments of society - from classrooms to boardrooms, parliaments to village halls - it will place special emphasis on youth and those whose voices are too often marginalized or not heard in global affairs. 

In a film released today, the Secretary-General appealed to people everywhere to add their voices to this campaign: “We need your opinions, your strategies, your ideas for us to be able to deliver better for the people of the world that we must serve.”

Through the upcoming dialogues, UN75 aims to build a global vision for the year 2045, the UN's centenary; to increase understanding of the threats to that future; and to drive collective action to realize that vision. Global opinion polling and media analysis will be conducted in parallel to provide statistically representative data.

The views and ideas that are generated will be presented to world leaders and senior UN officials at a high-profile event during the 75th Session of the General Assembly in September 2020, and disseminated online and through partners on an ongoing basis.

There are no limits or requirements for those who want to be a part of the conversation - physically or online.

Information is available at www.un.org/UN75.

For further information and/or to request an interview, please contact Lisa Laskaridis (lisa.laskaridis@un.org)