LocationsAfrica at UNGA 81: The Events You Won’t Want to Miss
September 17, 2026
Every year, the world comes to New York to debate humanity’s biggest challenges. But the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) opens at a moment when the rules governing money, technology, trade and global decision-making are being rewritten.
A new scarcity is emerging. Not of ideas, resources or technology; but of trust: trust in institutions, markets, technology and whether growth is reaching ordinary people.
For Africa, some key issues are therefore fundamental:
Who gets to shape the new rules?
Who owns the infrastructure behind the AI revolution?
Who captures value from Africa’s resources, data and talent?
And who gets trusted by capital, and on what terms?
Across UNGA81, UNDP will bring this agenda to life through practical solutions: timbuktoo and the UNDP-UNCDF Investment Accelerator are connecting African entrepreneurs to capital and markets; new AI initiatives are helping young innovators access the tools and infrastructure to build for the AI era; CAFI is working to turn the Congo Basin’s natural assets into a foundation for sustainable development; and the Africa Credit Ratings Initiative is tackling the cost of capital by challenging how risk is assessed.
Governance is also evolving from managing instability to building institutions that can keep pace with young populations, rapid technological change and new aspirations, which is at the heart of our work through the Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions.
Across these efforts runs a common thread: making development more investable, innovation more scalable and institutions more responsive to people’s needs. From youth, peace and security to inclusive transitions, UNDP is working with African institutions to strengthen the systems, partnerships and capacities needed to navigate rapid change and turn it into opportunity.
Africa is not simply adapting to this new world. It is helping shape what comes next.
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
Friday, 18 September 9.00 am to 10.30 am | Partnership Dialogue on UNDP's Africa Credit Ratings Initiative | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 24th floor One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
Friday, 18 September 10.00 am | Rooting and Rising: Liberia's Vision for Youth, Peace and Security - Investing in PATHWAYs Reform Mandate | Nelson Mandela Hall African Union Permanent Mission to the United Nations 305 E 47th Street, New York 10017 |
Friday, 18 September 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm | Private Roundtable Workshop on Financing the Creative Industry, powered by timbuktoo | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 24th floor One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
| Sunday, 20 & Monday, 21 September | Unstoppable Africa, Global Africa Business Initiative | Mariott Marquis, 7th floor 1535 Broadway, New York 10036 |
Sunday, 20 September 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm | timbuktoo at Unstoppable Africa: Equipping Africa’s Young Innovators with the Tools of the AI Era | Mariott Marquis, 7th floor 1535 Broadway, New York 10036 |
Sunday, 20 September 3.30 pm to 4.00 pm | timbuktoo at Unstoppable Africa: MoU Signing Ceremony for Equipping Africa's Young Innovators with the Tools of AI Era | Mariott Marquis, 7th floor 1535 Broadway, New York 10036 |
Sunday, 20 September 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm | Unlocking Creative Capital - the Africa-Atlanta Pathway | Mariott Marquis, 7th floor 1535 Broadway, New York 10036 |
Monday, 21 September 10.00 am to 11.30 am | Connecting Climate Action for People's Lives: Lessons learned from COP30 | UNDP Headquarters One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
Monday, 21 September 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm | Northwest Nigeria Peace, Security and Development Framework (2026–2030): From Fragility to Opportunity: Locally led Pathways to Peace, Resilience and Investment in Fragile Contexts | Mariott Marquis, Marquis Ballroom 1535 Broadway, New York 10036 |
Monday, 21 September 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm | Informal Roundtable UNGA81 Navigating Food System Shocks: Food as Foundation for Security | Permanent Mission of Belgium to the United Nations One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza 885 Second Ave - 41st floor New York, NY 10017 |
Tuesday, 22 September 10.30 am to 12.00 pm | Promoting Regional Integration through South-South and Triangular Cooperation | UNOSSC Doha Room FF-1140 45th Street, New York 10017 |
Tuesday, 22 September 11.30 am to 1.30 pm | UNDP-UNCDF Joint Event: Investment Accelerator featuring Early Stage Capital Facility, Turning Pipeline into investable job-creating ventures | UNCDF 45th Street, New York 10017 |
Tuesday, 22 September 1.15 pm to 2.30 pm | Two Years After the Pact for the Future: Progress on Implementation, Challenges and Opportunities for Africa | Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters, New York 10017 |
Wednesday, 23 September 9.30 am to 10.45 am | High Level Leaders' Dialogue: Moving Beyond Crisis | Bahá'í International Community, 866 UN Plaza, Suite 120 |
Wednesday, 23 September 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm | UNDP Africa-OHBCUD 2026 UNGA Side Event: Renewing the Call, Fulfilling the Mission, Ensuring the Future | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 24th floor One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
Wednesday, 23 September 1.00pm to 2.30 pm | Bridging the Gaps: Digital Financial Inclusion as a Tool to Accelerate the Implementation of the SDGs in Ethiopia. | United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), 11th Floor, Doha Conference Room, 304 East 45th Street, New York 10017 |
Wednesday, 23 September 1.00pm to 3.00 pm | UN Security Council Side Event The Nexus between Climate, Conflict, and Natural Resources: Pathways to Peace, Resilience, and Sustainable Development | The Westin, New York Grand Central, 212 E 42nd St, New York 10017 |
Wednesday, 23 September 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm | From Silos to Systems, Projects to Portfolio: Strategic Dialogue on Systems Change and Inclusive Development in Asia | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 11th floor, Doha Room One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
| Wednesday, 23 September 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm | Global Grids Accelerator: Secretary-General’s High-Level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition | Trusteeship Council Chamber United Nations Headquarters |
Thursday, 24 September 8.15 am to 9.45 am | Upstream Prevention: From Global Commitments to National Action | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 11th floor, Doha Room One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
Thursday, 24 September 8.30 am to 10.00 am | Closing the Gap Towards the Paris Agreement Global Stocktake Goal of Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030 | UNDP, 304 East 45th St, Manhattan 10017 |
Thursday, 24 September 10.00 am to 11.30 am | High-Level Meeting of Heads of State on Humanitarian Crises and Durable Solutions in Africa – UNGA side event | |
Thursday, 24 September 10.00 am to 12.00 pm | High-Level Ministerial and Ecosystem Dialogue on “The Africa We Build: DPI as the Engine of Agenda 2063's Digital Economy,” convened under the umbrella of the Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure (AA4DPI) | Solana Skyline, 6th Floor, 141 E. Houston St., New York, NY |
Thursday, 24 September 10.00 am to 2.00 pm | 8th European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East | Plaza Hotel |
| Thursday, 24 September | Building Trust: Inclusive Humanitarian Financing for Women and Girls | UN Women Headquarters, Daily News Building, 220 E 42nd St. |
| Thursday, 24 September | Mobilising Diaspora Finance for Sierra Leone's Sustainable Development | Nelson Mandela Hall African Union Permanent Mission to the United Nations 305 E 47th Street, New York 10017 |
Thursday, 24 September 3.30 pm to 5.00pm | Development Data Partnership: Private Sector Intelligence for Better Development Decisions | 350 Fifth Avenue (LinkedIn Office), Empire State Building, New York |
Thursday, 24 September 6.00pm to 7.30 pm | Des ambitions nationales aux résultats à grande échelle: Consultation politique de New York sur la stratégie CAFI 2026–2035 | |
Friday, 25 September 8.00 am to 11.00 am | Diaspora and Friends of South Africa Roundtable: From Global Affinity to Nation Brand Advocacy and Ecoomic Participation | |
Friday, 25 September 9.00 am to 11.00 am | Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions Steering Committee Meeting | UNDP Africa Headquarters, 24th floor One UN Plaza, New York 10017 |
Friday, 25 September 11.30 am to 12.45 pm | From Shock to Resilience: Supporting Developing Countries Through Compounding Crises | United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 12 |
Saturday, 26 September 10.00 am to 2.00 pm | AWLN Global Women Leadership Forum 2026: Reimagining Global Governance: Championing Women's Leadership for Lasting Impact | 320 Park Avenue, 35th Floor |
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