UNGA 2025: Mental Health and Brain Health Events to Watch
Good afternoon beautiful people,
UNGA Week is two weeks away, and all roads will be leading to New York…at least for those in the International Development world. In this post, I will be
sharing mental health related events at this year’s event (UNGA 80) and registration links (for those who will be in New York week of Sept 22-26th, 2025),
providing background information, and highlighting my previous UNGA experiences (for those unfamiliar with UNGA).
What is UNGA?
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental body responsible for, among other things, collaborative global policymaking. It has produced frameworks like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other global resolutions.
Every year, it holds a convening called the General Assembly (UN General Assembly = UNGA).
panelist at Time to Act on Global Mental Health at UN HQ, 2018
At the beginning of the year, an agenda is set, and the UN’s 193 member countries begin preparing for the annual convening, which takes place at UN HQ in New York every third week of September. (Mark your calendar for next year if you want to plan ahead).
This year, 2025, marks the 80th UNGA (#UNGA80).
During the convenings, there are roughly three main “levels” of activity:
High-Level Meeting (HLM) – Presidents/Heads of State present their national priorities. This is the official centerpiece, live-streamed on UN Web TV.
Ministerial Meetings – Focused gatherings of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries, often hosted by UN agencies inside HQ (agencies - think UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP and the likes).
Side Events – Forget going into UN HQ (unless it is your very first time/are on a ‘high level’ panel), the side events (if you chose them wisely) is where the real UNGA happens. These are events organized by funders, nonprofits, and universities (sometimes in collaboration with UN agencies), with sessions spotlighting everything from climate to health to social justice. Think Clinton Global Initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Goalkeepers, Concordia Summit, Global Good Summit, etc. Beside the themes, this is where real collaborations, pitching opportunities, meeting scheduling (and of course fun) goes down.
My UNGA Experience(s)
I have participated in 3 out of the past 79 UNGA weeks:
2017: Storyteller at The MOTH’s Global Stories by Women and Girls (a UN Women–sponsored side event).
2018: I spoke at four sessions—Social Good Summit, Concordia Summit, a mental health reception, and a mental health panel at UN HQ. It was after this whirlwind that I chose to step back from frontline advocacy.
2023: Invited to speak on the panel “Responding to the Mental Health Epidemic: Local Heroes of Mental Health.”
If it is your first time at UNGA, and New York, please soak it all in, and make sure you attend all the receptions/after parties - of course being responsible all through. Get a feel of the vibe, and the people, and if it feels like your jam, and aligns with your work, start planning for next year asap.
Beyond the panels, workshops, and resolutions, it is literally a melting pot for international development, and a chance to connect with people from all over the world, exchange ideas, and discover new collaborations. Of course, with hundreds of events across the city, it can also be overwhelming, so plan strategically…you do not have to go for everything, and meet everyone.
UNGA 2025: Mental Health sessions
Here are some highlights (with registration details where available):
Monday, 22 September
8:30–11:30am: Devex Workshop; join in person
8:30am–4:00pm: Child Mind Institute + partners; by invitation
2:00–4:00pm: MHPSS Collaborative + partners; join in person
6:00–8:00pm: WHO + Non Communicable Disease Alliance; join in person
Tuesday, 23 September
7:30–10:00am: UNICEF + partners; join in person
1:00–2:00pm: WEF Brain Economy Action Forum + McKinsey Health Institute; by invitation
6:00–8:00pm: Wellcome Trust, WHO, and United for Global Mental Health; by invitation
Wednesday, 24 September
9:00am–5:00pm: Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) + partners; join in person
2:00–4:00pm: Strong Minds; by invitation
Thursday, 25 September
9:00am–5:00pm: High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health; by invitation or live stream
As I scanned through this year’s mental health programming, three things jumped out:
A slow reframing of the field from mental health to brain health,
A push to embed mental health into the broader Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) agenda,
A spotlight on youth and children’s mental health.There are some events I am curious about, and might just jump on a train to New York to attend.
If you know of others worth adding, drop them in the comments and I’ll update the list.
If you can’t make it this year but want similar opportunities, check out our Plug Page for funding, learning, and community-building opportunities across Africa and the diaspora.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Sending love and light,
Sitawa
