Today is The International Day of Peace observed each year on 21 September... [It] is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. This year the Secretary-General [of the United Nations] is calling on governments and citizens to focus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”

Tomorrow is the Summit on Climate Change which is being convened “to mobilize the political will and vision needed to reach an ambitious agreed outcome based on science at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen.”

Then, starting on Wednesday, the general debate of the 64th session of the United Nations is scheduled to begin. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton will be attending events at the United Nations this week, and Secretary of State Clinton will sit down for a newsmaker interview with The NewsHour’s Margaret Warner to discuss the UN and the administration’s agenda for these meetings.

One topic likely to be discussed is the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The MDG Gap Task Force has issued a 2009 Report entitled Strengthening the Global Partnership for Development in a Time of Crisis. It notes

The global economic crisis continues to threaten efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In some cases, responses to the crisis, such as protectionist measures and new restrictions on migration, are compounding the risks.

Indeed, the debate in the United States rarely seems to focus on how the United States can better aid in the achievement of the MDGs, and with the current economic malaise, this seems to be the furthest thing from the mind of many politicians. Yet in 2005, there were 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty and in 2006 and 73 million primary school aged children were not in school.

Meanwhile, one friend of mine is leading a group of people to Haiti to deliver books to schools there and another friend is working in North Ghana to empower youth to help them meet the Millennium Development Goals.

This week, we will hear a lot about the United Nations. There will be discussions about peace, climate change, and the world economy. I also hope that more people will learn about the Millennium Development Goals and find ways they can help these goals be achieved.