Big Foundations Sustain Presence Amid United Nations Funding Uncertainty

Despite facing funding cuts and questions about its relevance, the United Nations continues to attract major foundations and nonprofits to New York for a busy schedule of events alongside its General Assembly. The Gates Foundation has delayed its annual report on global development progress due to uncertainty over future foreign aid and global health funding commitments. The Clinton Global Initiative will change its format this year to focus on developing new programs during a two-day conference. The United States, the UN's largest donor, has frozen or sought to reclaim funding, leading to layoffs and program reductions across UN agencies, while the Security Council has failed to intervene in two major ongoing wars. Nevertheless, some experts, including Kevin Sheekey, senior adviser to Mike Bloomberg, emphasize the importance of UNGA Week as the only global forum where the entire world convenes, facilitating unique connections between world leaders, businesses, and philanthropic organizations. This year’s gatherings will emphasize global collaboration and investment opportunities, particularly in African countries and sectors like sports.